A Thousand Possible Paths: Book One
by Natasha-Tenshi
Summary: Book One of the Thousand Paths series. Natasha is a young woman, who, by a heavy stroke of luck (being it bad or good is debatable, really) is killed; a quick death at the head of a heavy truck. Upon waking, she is thrust into a world of clouds, and meets an extraordinary being, named Arrow. With his help, she will be able to learn to cherish that which she had left behind. Family.
1. Meeting Arrow

Falling was a universal imploration to find freedom. Humans had come to find various ways to incorporate such feelings into methods of gaining profit. Bungee jumping.. Parasailing.. Skydiving.. All of these created to bring joy to both consumer and provider. However, there are some instances in which falling could bring a negative reaction from the consumer..

This was, unfortunately, one of those times..

Our current, fiercely unhappy consumer was currently several hundred thousand feet in the air, descending at a steady, rapid rate. Slim, small fingers scratched at the skin of her palms, golden eyes wide in fear and shock. No screams left her parted lips, but her breath had slipped through her teeth in a dangerous hiss. Air streamed around her body, forcing her silvery-white hair away from her face, flickering along with the current that pulled at her clothes. The ground was an eery green, blotted with splotches of darker green and even in some cases, black or grey. Her arms were tucked to her chest, legs taut with the effort not to give away how enormously afraid she was at that very moment. She fell for hours, though, she faintly reprimanded herself, the growl in the back of her mind forcing her to be calm, despite the severity of the situation, it could have very well been only a few minutes. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she shuddered, mind becoming foggy as the dark whispers kept the mantra of focus the primary concern.

And then all of a sudden…

It stopped..

She hung, suspended in midair, hair falling gently back down to brush her eyes, neck and cheeks as she felt her heart pound fervently against her chest. She felt a trickle of blood slip down her chin, and she forced herself to keep herself still, not daring to break the precious moment of absolute silence. The air was thin, but she found herself greedily taking it in without thought.

 _What is it you wish for..?_

The words that echoed in her mind were absolutely nothing like the usual, dark whispers that kept her trained on tasks. No.. this voice was _deeper_.. _Soothing_.. This voice was _louder_.. And asking for the answer to a question.. The whispers already knew her every thought, so this was a strange difference.

 _What is it you desire..?_

She bit back a gasp as she panted, shoulders trembling as she focused on the question echoing through her mind.. However, the male -she could only assume it was male by the timbre- seemed to have his answer.

 _You seek nothing…_

 _You have.. no desires…?_

She felt something akin to amusement settle in the corner of her mind, though it was clearly not her own. She swallowed back the dribble of blood that settled on her tongue, gently prodding at her lip to soothe the stinging cut. The voice hummed softly, an ethereal sound that sent a vibration of energy through her body.

 _Your will is strong.._

 _Though, you lack desires.._

 _Strange.._

A soft, golden feather flitted in the corner of her vision, and she ever so slightly tilted her head towards it, watching as it was swept in a small, soft current to float in front of her, before continuing below. She swallowed back a scream as she made the mistake of looking down, her heart thundering as the voice _laughed._. _Laughed_ _at her_..

"Afraid of heights..?" The male whispered, and she shuddered at the feel of warm breath at the nape of her neck. She tilted her head up, away from the drop and toward the sky further above her. There, a pair of green eyes locked with hers, and she was still as stone. This man was floating, quite casually, just a few inches above her, soft blonde locks curling around his chin and falling around his neck and shoulders in a pool of gold. His skin was nearly aglow, his smile sultry and smooth. He appeared upside down at her viewpoint, as she had to tilt her neck back to see him, but she was certain his languid lounging in the air kept him parallel to the far, far ground.

"Such a spirited woman," the voice she had heard was now in the air, no longer in her ears and clouding her thoughts. He smiled at her, eyes lidded lazily as he reached out a single, white gloved hand to trace the curve of her jaw, "So many sins.." he chuckled, his tongue wetting his lips, "So many mistakes.. No guidance, whatsoever.." she flinched as his fingers found her chin, lifting her head higher with a touch that was nearly silk. A small current of air pressed down on her lower back, and she was quickly righted into a more comfortable position, legs dangling towards the ground as she hovered in an almost-sit in front of he man. From here, she could drink in his entire figure.

He laughed openly at her drifting eyes, sweeping out both arms as he gave a mock bow, sweeping the coattails of his pure white coat back in a flourish. His entire outfit, it seemed, was the same pure white, with only the gentle color of creamy gold to line the lapels of his jacket and his leather belt. He looked, she realized, much like an Adonis. His almost seventeenth century clothing, and and a golden crucifix hanging from his neck to rest below his breast. He wore white gloves, a white tailcoat, a white ascot, a golden belt, the gold cross, and a pair of shiny black shoes. "Mi'lady.."

She held her tongue between her teeth, her anxious eyes searching his face for recognition. Unfortunately, she had never seen him before. Of that, she was certain..

"Aah," he straightened out slightly, positioning himself regally as if he were upon solid ground, his smile turning mischievous, "I have not introduced myself, have I..? Pardon my terrible manners.."

She blinked her eyes slowly, the task of closing them much easier than opening them back up to face this.. This _glowing_ male..

"My name, is Arrow," he smiled brightly, and his teeth were nearly glittering, "and I.. am your guardian angel.."

She chuckled, finally, a dry, rasping sound escaping her cracked lips. He seemed surprised by the reaction, tilting his head just slightly to inspect her as her chuckles turned to full blown, disbelieving laughter. "Uh-huh.. _Sure_.." she cackled, holding her sides as she wiped an imaginary tear from her eye, "Okay.. _Arrow_.." He frowned suddenly, but he appeared rather subdued, "I can understand this may be a bit strange.. Naturally, a human in your position would receive a visit from either myself or a colleague, in their still-living moments.. However.." he cut off as she started to tilt in the air, waving her arms to find a semblance of balance as she started to tip up, then down, before testing the sides, and flipping backwards into a perfect arch, shooting herself back up in a complete circle, a sudden bright smile on her face, "A flying dream.. Haven't had one of those in a while.." "Miss," he patiently called, watching as she twirled and flipped around like a human acrobat, minus ropes and safety netting.. He tried again, "Unfortunately, there was a miscalculation on your souls stability during the process of what _should_ have been a near death experience.."

"Pardon?" she paused casually in mid air, much more at ease now that she had distinguished the situation as a dream, "I'm not quite following.."

"By any chance," he tried slowly, watching as she positioned her body to appear as if she were leaning against a wall with her shoulder. "You wouldn't happen to be a supporter of ' _God_ ' would you..?"

"No," she shook her head, bluntly, and his flinch was almost palpable. She grimaced at him, shaking her head, "I don't follow God, nor do I follow Hades.. So rest assured on that.. I might believe that their is an afterlife, but I sure as hell will not devote myself to someone who holds so little recognition in my life, at all.." "That is.. Very disturbing.." he finally admit, tapping a finger to his chin in slow thought. "For sure, if you did not follow his Majesty, I'm shocked to find I was assigned to you.. Let alone gift you for a mishap on our part.."

"Alright, now you're just speaking Latin," she cut him off quickly, and he returned a surprised expression as she continued, "Listen.. To each his own.. Believe in what you want.. Just don't force it upon me.. Last I checked, America was a religiously free country.. So I should have all the right to pursue and worship whatever I please to my heart's content.." He admired the set of her posture for a brief moment before he let out a genuine laugh, shaking his head at her glare.

"Perhaps I should elaborate on the situation, though, I shall ask first, what do you recall last..?" he smiled warmly as he walked towards her, shoes stepping on a nonexistent floor to be just a few sparse feet in front of her. She leaned back at the proximity, but pursed her lips in thought, taking his words into suggestion. She had woken up late for school, and tripped on the sidewalk, ripping her leggings.. Further in the day, she'd been spilled on by someone's steaming coffee, covered in lasagna in the lunchroom, walked into a pillar… A locker door to the face.. She grimaced as she continued to remember.. Days events current to followed by a basketball to the head.. Being chased by a schizophrenic out of a dollar store.. She shuddered, a terribly modeled car... A car nearly running her over as she crossed the street and then-

She stopped as she stood straighter, brows furrowed as she searched her mind for the rest. She remembered running onto the street, just barely missing being hit by the tiny green buggie, but.. There was a bright light behind her after she'd stood.. That was it..?

"What happened..?" she lifted her hands to her temples, massaging the places lightly as if they would provide her an answer should she please them. "Please relax for what I am about to say," Arrow started gently, actually appearing genuinely concerned as he took one of her hands softly between the two of his. She raised an unamused eyebrow at him scornfully, drifting her eyes between their joined hands before meeting his own, back and forth in silent irritation, though he was either naively oblivious, or chose to ignore her.. And from the maturity she saw leaking from his eyes, she suspected the latter.

"Relax," his smooth timbre floated around her like a blanket of honey, soothing her emotions and giving her a serene feeling. She felt her head bob slightly, and his pleased smile was not wasted. However angry she wanted to be, she physically -or was it spiritually?- couldn't.

"You're no longer in the land of the living," he stroked his thumb along her knuckles gently, bending slightly as she floated into an almost sitting position, her hazy golden eyes focused purely on his own green orbs. "There was a mistake in the fate given to you.." a subtle hint of melancholic annoyance slipped into his tone, unintentionally, "Something that hasn't happened in thousands of years.. You would be only the third case of this.." he cleared his throat swiftly, before regaining his composure. "Because of the unjust brought upon you, in shame for the angels' mistake.. _He_ has given you a series of gifts for the loss of your life.."

"Gifts?" she repeated, blinking away the last of the honey-like glaze. Though, the charm was broken merely by the presence in her mind, without it, surely he would have manipulated her..? After all.. Angels, she reasoned, could also be cruel..

"You will be given the ability to _'travel'_ ," he soothed gently, blinking in surprise when she snatched her hand away, as if burned, to grasp her chest. As if realizing something, she froze, eyes going wide as she gave him a hard look, her hands adopting a fine tremble as she ran them down her chest, grasping at her hips before she finally hissed in surprise, glaring down at her body in fear and immediately scrambling to cover her womanly areas with her arms. "You _pervert_ -?!" her scream caused the blonde to flinch, one gloved hand coming up as if in a peace offering as she continued, "Why am I in a dress-?! Where did my clothes go-?! I need _pants-_! _Pants are essential-_!"

"My Lady, please-!" he called shaking his hands in front of him in an appeasing manner, "I did not remove your human garments-! The change was made once your soul had been collected-! I can assure you," his eyes were determined as he stared into her glaring golden orbs. " _Pants_ ," she grumbled, her eye twitching in irritation as she curled her knees up, pulling the long, flowing white gown around her body in a sushi-wrap style, "I need.. _Pants_.."

Arrow let out a slow, deep breath, reaching his alms out as if in mercy, "Should I replace your human garments, will you be pacified enough to hear me out..?"

"Maybe.." she murmured, and at his annoyed glance, she pouted, "Hey, it's an honest answer.." He sighed again, this time in exhaustion as he waved a dismissing hand at her. White mist, similar to cotton candy spun around her body just below her chin in a cyclone of clouds, before disappearing, leaving her in a pair of white leggings and a loose cream colored shirt. He'd also splurged to give her a pair of shiny white scandals and a golden ring for her left hand's middle finger. It was similar to what a male's high school class ring would look like, without the special carvings; however, the stone set inside it was a glimmering emerald, shining and sparkling as she tilted it every which way.

"Thank you," she finally nodded, and he paused to look back at her in vague surprise. His tone low and unamused, "Anything else I should be aware of..?" "I'm.. certifiably insane..?" she offered lightly, and he blinked once before shaking his head, "I already knew that.. I meant to accommodate you.." "Alright," she smirked, tilting her head as he gazed at her expectantly, "How about you loosen up a bit.." at his incredulous look, she chuckled, "And I mean it, thank you for the pants.. I can't stand to have my legs bare.. Let alone without proper under garments.." "

He sighed, again, and put a hand to his heart, bowing slightly with his eyes fluttering closed. "On behalf of _His Holy Grace_ , I present to you, lady Natasha Rose Wolfe, a series of gifts as repentance for our wrong doings.."

"Series of gifts?" she grimaced, and he glanced up at her tone, "I'm not exactly in need of anything presently.. " He raised an eyebrow at her, in an are-you-done-yet?- way, before she rolled her eyes, giving a sarcastic cursty, "My dearest apologies.. Please continue, oh great Arrow.."

He cleared his throat as he stood straighter, and as he lifted his left hand, a well-used scroll materialized, his right hand lifting to unfurl it so he could begin. She got comfortable into an Indian-position, relaxing as she watched him expectantly from her perch.

"Your first gift.." he paused for dramatic affect, smiling at her over the scroll, "Is _Travel_.. And no-" at her inquisitive look, "It is not what you think.. You will not be able to visit your world's scenery in a living human vessel.." "Then-" she started, but his patience was wearing thin as he cut her off, "I shall explain it all to you, shortly." She was silent after that, and continued breathlessly. "The second gift that shall be received is the ability to _Create_.." Her ears perked up at that, and he had to bite back a smile. "Yes, I am aware of your.. Avid.. imagination.." She flinched at that, a bright red dusting her face and spreading down her neck, "Wait- you haven't read any of my thoughts, have you..?" "That is left for the demon scum who find enjoyment in others suffering," he quipped, and from the hard look on his face, she settled her nerves for quiet.

"Thirdly," he smiled, though it seemed a bit forced, now, "You shall receive the gift of _Choice_.." When he had curled the scroll back up and slipped it into a pocket inside his jacket, she waited a full ten seconds before speaking. "Okaaaaayyy," she sighed, lifting up in hand in question. "Let me get this straight.. I died.. And because I wasn't _supposed_ to die-" he flinched at that but she continued without pause, "-I'm getting three gifts from the big man up top..?"

"Precisely," he managed, nodding his head. She scowled, and he bit back a shudder. "And now you can explain these gifts in more detail.." at his pensive look, she sighed, "..please.."

He smiled, slightly, though she could almost swear it was a smirk, "Of course..

" _Travel_ ," he started calmly, moving to pace in front of her as she sat dutifully as a child, eyes big and filled with curiosity in preparation for his words. " _Travel_ is the act in which a celestial-power leveled being is able to.. _Hop_.. I suppose.. From one world to the next.. There are billions upon billions of worlds out there," he turned to grace her with an angelic smile, "And billions more, still.. Each one could be a near copy of your world, or vastly different.. With this gift," he knelt down to one knee, just a foot lower than her floating place so he could be eye-level, "you are able to visit places you've only dreamed of.. Worlds that you've observed, but never really experienced.." "You're getting my hopes up," she cut in bluntly, and his confused look prompted her to explain, "You're making it sound like I can just jump into my favorite anime and play Mary Sue.." He stopped at that, eyes wide as he met her stare calmly, "My," he pursed his lips, pleased, "they said you were perceptive, but this is surprising.."

"What?" she jerked forward, almost launching herself at him in exhilaration, "Do.. Are you saying what I _think_ you're saying..?!" "Alternate realities.." he smiled slyly at her shudders of elation, "Fictional stories.. All of it is possible.. You don't think those ideas just 'pop' into an author's head, do you..? It takes a certain level of spiritual and psychic ability to create such things.."

"If I'm finding out my otome games are real," she whispered softly, eyes going doe-y as she curled into her ball, "I might actually hug the Big Guy for killing me off.." He flinched at her use of wording, before smiling again. "Alright.. You have a firm grasp of _Travel_.. How about I explain, _Create_..?" "Please do."

"Simply put," he grinned, holding up a hand, where a bright, luminescent rose glowed in his palm, "Should you dream for it.. It shall be.." She reached out to take the offered flower, smelling the unearthly scent with a smile as she nodded. "What are the limitations to that..?"

"You would need to have a give and take," he chuckled mirthlessly, "Small things aren't too much of a hassle," he gestured to the rose, with a smirk, "But, say.. You wanted.." he rolled his eyes as he pondered, before snapping, "A car..?" A bright, white Camaro suddenly appeared at her side, and she jumped in surprise, giving out a loud cry as she attached herself to Arrow's left leg, "What the-?!" He smiled duly toward the useless, floating contraption, "You would expend too much energy, and likely fall unconscious for two to five hours.."

She gave him a stern look as he giggled, watching her shake her head to show her displeasure at the antics. "And," she started hesitantly, her head tilted away from him, as if another car might appear, aiming for her face.. "What about the last one..? _Choice_..?" "Aah, that" he grinned, showing his pearly white teeth as he crouched down, "Is the most simple to explain.. _Choice_ -" He bent over, sweeping her into his arms -much to her protests- with one fail swoop, cradling the jittery girl in his arms as he stroked her hair, "...is the matter of controlling your own decisions..."

She stilled at that, craning her neck back to give him a stupefied look, "Pardon?"

"I will be your guide," she heard him repeat the words slowly, gently, as if she would break with too much applied pressure, "I will take you to these worlds as your companion.. Helping you live, learn, and grow..."

"Well," she started awkwardly, shifting in his arms, "Uhm.. Thanks, I guess..?" He chuckled lightly, patting her head as he set her down, the silvery white strands softly running through his fingers like liquid silk, "Of course, my lady.." "Natasha," she stated. At his surprised look, she smiled, "Call me Natasha.." He hummed in thought, before shaking his head bluntly, "Nope. My Lady stays." "What? Why?!" she whined. He grinned, "That's why.."

"I'm going to have to deal with relentless teasing, aren't I?" she murmured offhandedly, feeling his rumbling chuckle through his arm. "Well," he glanced down at her next sentence, his golden eyebrows lifting into his messy bangs at her serious stare. "There's just one more thing.."

"And what would that be?" he chuckled, playing along.

"Arrow," she muttered blandly, glaring pointedly at the miles of space hovering peacefully below them before meeting his surprised face, "Where in God's name are we-?!"

And with that exclamation, the peace was shattered, and her body continued it's plummet towards an oblivious world, churning below her.

 _The car apparently disappeared, though..._

* * *

 **Violet Here. I'd like to thank you all for reading A Thousand Paths: Book One, and making it this far into my awful story. This is merely an intro, as the real story will begin next chapter. I have twelve books planned so far, but I'm willing to stake a bet at there being thirteen, if I am not completely sated with the ending I chose. As for any mistakes and grammatical errors, I encourage you to point them out to me, as I value constructive criticism. Flames, however, will be used as fuel to for my bonfires. Naturally so.**

 **Now, I shall state the obvious.**

 **I do not own Brothers Conflict.**

 **I _do_ however, own my original characters. **

**Any use of my characters must be gone through with me.**

 **If you have any requests about what you'd like to see, I would like to hear them, though I make no promises about actually finding the motivation.**

 **Fanart is welcome.**

 **Rate and Review, Please~!**


	2. Chapter 1: Part 1

"Arrow," she muttered blandly, glaring pointedly at the miles of space hovering peacefully below them before meeting his surprised face, "Where in God's name _are_ we-?!"

And with that exclamation, the peace was shattered, and her body continued it's plummet towards an oblivious world, churning below her.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

She was swept into Arrow's arms before she'd fallen thirty feet, her face pressed against his hard, smooth chest and a powerful flapping sound drowning out her terrified hissing. She took a few moments to regain her breath as he hovered gently, allowing her to adjust. She craned her neck back after several intense minutes of meditation before she realized what the loud, whooshing noise was. Materialized from the back of Arrow's coat was a pair of large white-gold cream wings. They almost matched her hair, though hers was given a freshly-fallen snow hue with the effects of sunlight. She grimaced when a particularly loose feather flit out of the regal, decorative bundles and attached itself to her face. She brushed off the tickling nuisance gently, before giving the male holding her a look of annoyance. "Arrow," her low voice somehow cut through the noise, "You have ten seconds to tell me where we are-!"

Arrow shook his head gently, glancing down at her with concern, "Would you like an explanation now, or after you've been put on stable ground..?" "..A.. ..after.." she muttered into his lapels, flinching as his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, her head being pressed into the crook of her neck before they descending again, this time at a much less alarming pace.

It took nearly twenty minutes for the angel to bring her to a deserted area, a courtyard type building with many blooming petal trees. She felt his wings rest lightly around them briefly, cloth tugging at her body briefly before they were gone. She glanced down to inspect her outfit, attempting to check for tears, only to find a uniform-type outfit in her place. It was a sailor-type outfit, with maroon striped cuffs, and a maroon skirt. She also were a pair of white calf warmers, and a pair of white and red shoes. She tut her tongue in distaste as a cool breeze made the skirt flutter, and she sent a glare up at the stoic Arrow, who seemed to be inspecting a shiny gold pocket watch that filled the majority of his palm, the chain connected to it trailing into his left breast pocket.

"Okay," she called irritably, her hands holding down her skirt as she tugged it further down her hips in an effort of comfort. "We've landed.. I'm stable.. _Now_ will you tell me where we are..?"

" _Fratres Certamen_ ," he spoke languidly after a beat, clicking the watch closed and slipping it into his pocket, "I believe this was one of the places your conscious had yearned to visit.." "Now you are _literally_ speaking Latin," she muttered, frowning at him when he smiled, his wings tucked back behind him before disappearing completely. "If I've always wanted to come here.. What _is_ here..?"

"Would you like me to show, or tell you how this works?" he smirked, checking the tower clock just above their heads, "Because it is only a matter of minutes before your lessons will begin.." "Woah-woah-woah," she jumped in, waving her hands as she grimaced, "Are you telling me I have to go to _school_ in my afterlife?!" "You may want to keep your voice down," he advised gently, reaching back to grasp her shoulders as he lead her towards a corner, rounding it for her to see the throngs of teenagers pouring into the stone building, all in similar attire to her, or in variations with a male uniform. She pulled back into the safety of the corner, halting Arrow in his tracks. "Hold it."

"As I said," he glanced back calmly, "We have a limited amount of time.." "At least let me make pants," she pleaded quietly, putting her fingers to her temples as she calmed her breathing, picturing a pair of skin-tone stockings, letting the flesh-colored material appear and hug her legs comfortably and be visible only with severe close inspection. "Alright," she sighed, feeling the weight of a bag being put on her shoulder, watching as Arrow's gloved hands began checking through it and over her person, his voice grumbling in thought before he sighed, raising the tone for her to hear. "I am invisible to all humans, however, spirits, animals, and other guardians are still able to see me.. You will also be able to see another guardian, should they provide you with permission to see them.. Though they rarely choose to hide their presence.." Alright," she nodded obediently, feeling his fingers clasp her shoulders as he once again began leading her towards the doors, "I shall explain more in the classroom," then, with a hint of annoyance, "For now, I will help you with answers to questions you are asked during the lecture, understood?" She barely nodded as she shifted to appear to be steering herself, rather than being pushed through the halls. However, she kept her eyes peeled for anything familiar.

Arrow moved her up a set of stairs, around two corners and into a classroom, before leading her to a seat near the windows, watching her expectantly. Assuming it was assigned, she settled gently into her chair, moving to grasp her bag and dig through it, giving him a subtle wave of her fingers to start talking. He sighed, shaking his head as he leaned against the wall beside her, glancing at the clouds before turning his full attention back to her. "Your name, in this world, is your own, however, you have overwritten the presence of the woman named Hinata Ema," at her surprised, deja-vu look, he sighed through his nose, "As I said, you are in the world of _Fratres Certamen._. I believe your world had perceived this universe as an animated cartoon-" her sharp look sent a shiver up his spine, "-anime.. Anime, then.." he corrected, sighing at her subtle nod. He had to give her credit for her acting, a lesser human would be panicking.. She just seemed to hide it well.. "The title, if I have researched correctly, is merely the English name of the universe.." he seemed perturbed by this, but shook his head, none the less. "Brother's Conflict."

The name seemed to hit a chord as he watched her jerk in the seat, masking it with surprise at the sudden shrill of the late bell. A pencil placed precariously upon the desk bounced off of the surface and slid into the aisle. She leaned over to pick it up, but her hand halted as it brushed against a larger, tanned one. She looked up immediately to find a pair of chocolate-red eyes, her breath hitching in her throat the the orbs focused on her own golden ones. Soft pink dusted beneath his eyes, spreading across his nose as the boy brushed back a strand of longer, blood red hair. He held out the pencil in his other hand, looking away as he stood without another word. "Aah," she started, and he barely turned his head to glance back, shoulders stiff with tension as she offered him a weak smile. "Thank you, Asahina-san.."

He blinked slightly, before scratching at the back of his neck, glancing briefly toward the window, his voice low, "No problem.."

He took his seat without another sound, slouching at his desk as he buried his head in his arms. The teacher called the class to order, and Arrow waved for her attention gently, so as not to startle her. "Seeing as you had.. _Passed_.." he was smooth in the delivery, but she could hear his annoyance, "You will be able to perceive all languages as your home tongue.. Writing it shouldn't be too much of a hassle, just don't think about it, and try writing naturally.." she nodded her head towards the window gently, and he sighed. "Just for today," he repeated, his voice calm, "I will give you answers for questions asked if your thoughts are occupied.."

"Your name is Hinata Natasha," he listed off calmly, his voice cool and slow, "You live alone with your constant travelling father, whose name is Hinata Rintarou.. He has recently been seeing a woman named Asahina Miwa, and is likely to tell you of the engagement further this week.." He watched as she nodded, only pausing briefly to call out as roll was called. Seeing her eyes drift back to the window, he continued, "I will lead you back to the apartment, but I suggest that you try to memorize these paths on your own.." He offered a sardonic smile at her slightly inclined head, eyebrow raised, "You don't want me to follow you every waking moment, do you?" At her brief flash of distaste, he chuckled, before pointing to her left hand, where the golden ring and emerald were still upon her middle finger, "That is a token of mine.. You are able to summon me through it by merely breathing my name.."

Seeing as she didn't look interested in further explanation, he continued calmly, "You have a pet squirrel, named Juli.. however, he will greet both of us.." At her twitch of surprise, he nodded his head, "Yes, he is both an animal, as well as a guide.. So you should not dwell too much into it.."

"I cannot influence this timeline," he continued calmly, watching as she began mindlessly copying the chalk written script on the board. "So you will need to rely on your own abilities to interact with this world.." At her furrowed brow, he sighed, "I will be able to pull you out of this world at your request, should you wish to find place elsewhere.. But I am hindered without a physical form.." a look of disgust crossed his features as he resisted the urge to spit, "Nor will I behave as the scum do and possess a living body, either.."

She nodded calmly, but tensed as the teacher called out to her. "Hinata-san," the woman called, her back still turned to the room, "Would you solve this equation, please?" "Forty six," Arrow, toned casually.

She glanced at the board hesitantly, the sensei pausing to glance back in confusion as the girl in question cleared her throat, before stuttering, unsure, "F.. Forty-six..?"

The woman blinked at her slowly, glanced at the board, then nodded, shaking her head before she continued with the random calls. "Toshira-san, the next one, please."

Natasha tuned back into Arrow's lecture smoothly, mouthing a soft 'thanks'.

* * *

Natasha walked casually out of the school, nodding to a few people that called out to her in greeting or farewell as she made her way towards the train station, that Arrow had lead her towards with a beckoning hand. She was slowly mapping the streets and buildings, though she knew it would be useless until she actually adapted to the lifestyle change.

She was lead into a modest-looking home, and she was greeted with a note from Rintarou on the counter saying that he would be home by Thursday, and that he had a surprise for her. "You called it," Natasha smiled to Arrow, calling 'tadaima' as she entered the hall without thought and removing her shoes. She moved to place her bag in her room before she sprawled out onto her bed, flinching when a loud voice suddenly called out, and a soft weight catapulted into her chest, surprising her as she she straightened up in surprise.

" _Chiiiiiiiiii_ -!" Juli called, launching himself up to snuggle into her chest as her arms wrapped around him automatically, fingers moving to scratch behind his ears. "Good afternoon, Juli," she smiled, "And how was your day?" "Not much happened," he huffed, nuzzling her cheek as he climbed onto her shoulder, attempting to hide in the curtains of her hair, "Did the bird-man watch over you?"

" _Birdman_ -?" Arrow repeated smartly, his sudden materialization in the doorway startling Juli who hissed in surprise, "I shall have you know I am an _angel_ of the Lord.."

The squirrel scoffed, nuzzling into the girl's neck, "Unimportant.. Are you alright, Chii-chan..? You seem tired.." "It's nothing," she smiled, pulling an arm up to roll out of the bed, moving to check her closet.

Just as she had feared, the dark whispers murmured at the sight of the vast amounts of pink filling the closet, the suggestive changes almost tempting, if Juli were not chattering in her ear about how she needed to rest more and a good snack would perk her right up. Nah, she didn't want to scare the little fluff ball.

She shut the closet again after retrieving a simple green tracksuit and began stripping, ignoring Arrow's sudden claim to create a sort of map for her to follow, though he had already left the room by the time she was stripped and putting on the comfortable clothes. Seeing as it was Monday, she had three days to relax in preparation for the 'news' her new father had for her. With that in mind, she padded into the kitchen with her slippers, moving to start a pot of hot cocoa, smiling to Juli as she handed him a small package of nuts and taking him with her into the living room. She pulled the blanket off of the back of the couch and tucked herself into the arm of the sofa, reaching for the remote as she relaxed, flicking it on as Juli began to nap on her shoulder, beneath her hair, as she flipped through the channels, finally settling for a baking competition with intrigue. When the water let out a happy whistle, she stood to find the chocolate, pulling the knife and cutting board out to begin chopping it into pieces. She also swiftly added sugar, milk, and a hint of caramel syrup. She poured two mugs and filled a mini teacup with the mixture, the teacup just about the size of a medicine cap.

Arrow took the offered mug with a curious tilt of his head, eyeing the brew as she took a sip of her own, Juli nuzzling her neck ecstatically before drinking his own.

All was quiet for about thirteen entire seconds before Arrow let out an ecstatic holler, the single, tentative sip he had taken giving him hearts for eyes, drinking the rest of it with gusto. Natasha gave him a stupefied look, eyebrows raised as she shared a subtle look with Juli, before they continued to watch the angel enjoy his first taste of chocolate.. And.. she inwardly smirked, shaking her head, definitely not the last..

* * *

 **And that's the first chapter. :3**

 **I want to start off slow with this, get a feel for adding to it so that I don't dive head first into something I can't control.. *cough*updates*cough*...**

 **Well, that's it for now. As I have stated before, I will-**

 **Natasha: *waves her arm in the air* Hey-! Hey Mom-! Mom-! Can I say it-?! Can I-?!**

 **Rose: I dunno.. you just had chocolate...**

 **Natasha: *puppydog eyes, level eight* Pleeeeeaaaase..?**

 **Rose: *groans***

 **Natasha: *perks up* Mom doesn't own Brothers Conflict, or any other existing products/franchise, other than her own creations.**

 **Rose: Any use of my characters or original ideas must be gone through with me for use-!**

 **Natasha: *waves to the camera* Caio~!**


	3. Chapter 1 (Final)

She was finally done.

It had taken her all of the night to do it, but she'd packed every single thing in that house, marking the boxes of her things with bright red duct tape Xs. She'd not slept at all, actually, in the past few nights, too riddled with anxiety to really let her mind rest. Instead, she raided "Ema's" stash of video games, staying up the entirety of days just to play the strangely addicting games with rather impressive graphics for an anime.. Of course, she still got up to go to school and receive lectures from Arrow about the importance of timelines and universe fabrics, _blah, blah, blah_.. She had, also, taken to using her _Creation_ more often.. So that also didn't help the energy levels.. _At least_ , she smiled, leaning against the window of the train, she now had her laptop, sketchbooks, phone, and internet access to her previous world.. Just in case she wanted a refresher.. That itself had been the thing to send Arrow on his timelines and Space time continuum speech, which lasted all of two hours, until she had finally been pardoned on the condition that she would lock all devices linking events of the world securely.

"Chii, make sure you're real careful around those males," a voice tittered from below her, and she tilted her head down to see Juli poking his head out of her overnight bag for air, "There's a whopping thirteen of them, after all.."

The doors opened as the passengers were let off, and Natasha shouldered her bag as she began walking in the direction Arrow waved at. He said he'd wanted to explore the place personally before she got there, hinting that he wanted to be alone, and she had let him do so without question. "Oh Juli," she giggled, patting his head, "That's all you've been talking about since Papa announced the engagement.. And the move.." The squirrel was not a happy camper about that at all..

"When you get down to it," he argued, Natasha pausing to enjoy the view of the city in silence, "What are Rintarou and your new mother thinking?!" She felt him shudder in her arms as she began walking again, mindful of his chatter, "Tossing you alone into a horde of males.. While the two of them go live in a different house?!" "Juli," she chastised softly, lifting her hand to pop an array of bubbles as she continued down the sidewalk, her tone calm, "It can't be helped.. Dad and Ms. Miwa are both busy with their jobs.." at his look, she continued, "and most importantly, they're soon-to-be newlyweds."

"But that means putting you in danger-!" he argued, by this time having climbed onto her shoulder to observe the bubbles as well. "Juli," she scratched his chin as she continued walking, admiring the gorgeous works of paintings along the cement walls around them, "You keep talking about danger, but the people we're going to go live with are all my brothers, you know.." She herself knew how bullshit that was going to turn out, but she couldn't have been more curious and excited.. Wondering if her presence alone would change some of the reactions that should be, into something different.. "Brothers maybe," Juli admit grudgingly, "But that doesn't change the fact that they are males-!" Natasha sighed, glancing around her surroundings for a memory checkpoint, in case she became lost. The building nearby had a black iron statue of a girl beside a bike, her big hat round and hiding her face. She inwardly smirked at the ease it took to read the building's title as Hichijoji NH Building. "However," she heard him continue, "As long as I'm here, I won't let them mess with you-!"

She hummed happily at that, pecking his cheek before she checked her directions, oblivious to his tiny, squirly blush of embarrassment. "Almost there," she stated happily, looking forward to passing out on her bed.. Or her floor.. Whichever she got to, first.. "Yeah," Juli huffed, brushing off the affection cooly, "Almost to the battlefield-!"

Up ahead, she could just make out the outlines of figures unloading a large moving truck, the last thing from the now empty compartment being a large, glossy black piano. Just as she was about thirty meters out, they closed the back of the van, and got in to leave. Her eyes focused on a taller figure near the gate, as well as a severely shorter figure beside him, watching the truck leave, the shorter waving brightly..

"Excuse me-!" she called politely, jogging the rest of the way with a protective hand around Juli, in case of a slip. "Uh," she paused as she got there, her mind blanking as she botched her introduction. Thankfully, they picked up on her anxiety, and gave her a slight smile. "Hi there," the taller male with ashy brown hair and chocolate eyes greeted politely. "I had them take your things up to your room." "Oh," she snapped out of her blank stare with a blink, and offered them each a slight smile, "Thank you." Masaomi was dressed casually in a long sleeve, light green button up and khakis.

"I'm the eldest, Masaomi," he introduced gently, setting his palm on the shorter boy's shoulder, "And this is the youngest, Wataru." The shorter boy had blonde, almost salmon colored hair, and big, wide hazel-brown eyes beamed up at her. He was dressed in bright, cheerful colors. "Hello, Onee-chan," he grinned at her politely, and she internally screamed, wanting so badly to smother the child in hugs. Instead, she bent lower to be eye level (which wasn't much, unfortunately) and gave him a full on smile "Hello there to you, too, Wataru." She finished her bow gently, before raising herself back up, "My name is Natasha.. I look forward to living here, starting today.."

Masaomi smiled, his eyes closing slightly as he nodded back, "We look forward to having you." Natasha opened her mouth to ask about the current plan, if there was one, but Juli had scurried onto her shoulder, lying on his stomach to inspect the two curiously, with hints of suspicion, as well as surprise, "Hmm.. these two seem more harmless than I expected.."

"Oh," she paused, pulling Juli into her hands and bringing him out to her chest, making sure he faced the boys as she grinned, "And this is Juli.."

"Cute~!" Wataru grinned, his eyes big and doey as she held him lower for Wataru to gently pat his head. None-too-pleased, Juli waited politely until the child had pulled his hands away before bolting back to his refuge upon his owner's shoulder, "Chii-! Warn me next time-!"

Masaomi motioned for her to lead the way. As she started walking however, she felt a small hand slip into hers, though it was only a tiny bit smaller. She glanced down at Wataru, who was beaming up at her in curiosity, and she couldn't help the coo that left her lips, bending down to wrap her arms around him and lifting him onto her hip in one go. He was surprisingly light. "Wataru.." she smiled, "May I call you, 'Taru-chan'..?" He blinked at her briefly, before a smile nearly melted the sun out of the sky as he laughed, "Yes, Onee-chan-!"

She was lead to her room, where a paper taped on the wall outside the door read "Little Sis".

Juli was lecturing her gently while she was busy ripping open boxes and unpacking, first making sure all of her drawers were put away correctly. "Still, both to you and me, this new life that's about to start.." he paused to much about half of his giant nut she had provided via bowl, "..will no doubt prove to be a grueling battle.." He was looking out her window atop a baby blue shelf as she moved to clear a path for the doorway, a fluffy black hoodie over her school uniform and a pair of black tights beneath the skirt as she set out the door to explore, all the while, Juli continued, without pause. "At any rate.." he nibbled, "In this house," she heard him chewing, even from the hallway as she moved to find the staircase she had seen earlier. "Don't stray away from my side.." He turned his head back, "Got that?" He was met with an empty room. His nut slipped from his paws and clattered to the floor in shock. "H.. Huh?" He took off running out the door without a second thought. " _Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-_?!"

* * *

Natasha sighed in awe as she twirled around the living room, glancing from one piece of furniture to the next, her eyes wide in awe. When she saw that the piano had been put into a large vacant space behind the couch to the left of the TV, she'd smiled in appreciation, moving to stroke her fingers along the polished keys. She played a soft pentatonic scale, standing straighter at the sound of feet moving down the stairs. She turned to face the newcomer politely, eyes lighting up as Tsubaki rounded the end of the stair and turned to face her with a wide, curious smile. She waved a bit as she walked forward, hearing an elevator chime somewhere deeper in the house as she greeted the young man brightly. "H-Hello," she smiled a bit, though a dark, but soft reprimand in the back of her mind advised her to clear her throat before speaking, as it seemed, the lack of sleep was going to catch up, soon..

His arms were around her before she could process it, her face and brain going completely blank as he tightened them comfortably around her back, his tone bright and cheery, "It's a 'nice to meet you' squeeze," he grinned, his voice a husky murmur. They stayed like that for a few moments, her face pressed into his shoulder and her mind blank with the word 'what' repeating in a mantra. She heard a loud battle cry, and a hiss, before Tsubaki was completely thrown off of her, Azuza standing not two feet away with his fist lowering casually. Juli hopped onto her right shoulder as Azuza turned to her, though she was glancing worriedly at Tsubaki as he lied there, stunned, flexing her palm out as if to help, but mortified for the spontaneous greeting.

"Sorry about Tsubaki," Azuza smiled toward her, and she turned to give him a smile as well. "I'm Azuza, nice to meet you." Tsubaki was at his side again in a moment, and she resisted the urge to step closer to inspect for bruising. "That hurt, Azuza~!" he whined, holding the side of his head in pain, before dropping it completely to face her, swinging one of his arms around his brother's neck and pulling them close together, both smiling at her, "Ne~ We look alike, right?" "We're identical twins," Azuza confirmed politely, and she took a moment to appraise them with her eyes.

Tsubasa seemed to be the heated one, with a casual, but stylish getup complete with long pink sleeves, a white undershirt, a black overcoat, and jeans. His hair was as snowy white as her's was, if not a tad more towards the albino side, with brilliant lavender eyes, and a beauty mark beneath his left eye.

Azuza seemed to be the complete opposite. He was cool, and dressed to the nines in a black suit jacket, a baby blue shirt with a white collar, and a baby's breath blue tie. His hair was an inky blackish blue, and he had the same lavender eyes he shared with his brother, with his beauty mark under the opposite eye, while he, himself, wore a pair of thin rimmed black framed glasses.

"You two," a voice called, and her eyes snapped to the hallway where a taller man with gelled back blonde hair, and sharp, grey-blue eyes stood wheeling in a cart from a dining area. He was dressed formally in black suit pants, a long sleeved red button up shirt, a grey suit vest, and an off-white tie, "you are getting too rambunctious." He paused to stop the cart and walked around it to be about five feet in front of her, standing firm and polite, "Nice to meet you," he smiled politely, and she returned it with a nod, "I am Ukyo, I work as a lawyer."

Natasha opened her mouth to compliment the home's style, but a hiss cut her off, and all four humans glanced down to see Juli with his fur on end, hissing at Ukyo's bright yellow slippers.

"Nothing but top-of-the-line bastards keep showing up, one after another-!" Juli growled. Natasha gasped, bending over to grasp the back of his bow, "Juli," she murmured scornfully, her eyes meeting his fiery ones, "Watch your language-!" She gave an apologetic bow to Ukyo, her smile sincere, "My name is Natasha.. And this is Juli.. I look forward to getting to know you.." She set Juli back down with a reprimanding look, but as she stood up again, she was once again enveloped in a pair of lean, strong arms. "Yup," Tsubaki smiled, "Looking forward to it." Juli's hiss was straight out of hell for that one..

"Tsuba-nii-!" a voice called, prompting her to look up at the stairs, Yusuke's fiery red hair drawing her eyes there almost immediately, "What the hell are you doing in the house?!" He had one hand on the guardrail, looking them over in curiosity, and irritation, though it very well could have been exhaustion. "Oh, Yusuke!" Tsubaki greeted, waving his hand in salute, "Welcome back-!"

"Welcome back my ass," Yusuke snapped, leaning forward a bit as his brow furrowed, eyes narrowed at Tsubaki, "Don't bring a woman into the living room-!" He paused as said woman tilted her head toward him, lifting up her hands to pull the hood away from her hair, revealing its sparkling white, though most of the boys seemed to pause at that to glance at it, as well. "Wait," Yusuke muttered.

He was down the stairs before she could blink, running towards them and stopping just a few feet shy of her own, his expression shocked and full of terror. "You?!"

"Uh," she choked, swallowing back a mouthful of saliva as she wished her vocal chords to work, though it brought a bit of a dizzy spell, though she covered it well by pretending to brush the bangs from her face. "H-Hey, Asahina-kun," she greeted politely, waving her hand in a 'hi' motion. The few feet he had left her were quickly eaten up as he leaned toward her, just a mere six inches from her face. "Why?!"

"O-Oh," she coughed, now that her vocal chords were clear, she hid the annoyance at finding out it was her nerves, "W-Well, about that," she tried, weakly, in the presence of his chocolate eyes, the whispers laughing openly at the duo of red hair and chocolate eyes for her torment. She mentally slapped them before focusing again, "What I meant to say, is.." she trailed off idly, trying to find a suitable sentence, but was saved by Ukyo, who's smooth timber almost immediately called her dizziness. "Tsubaki," he sounded vaguely annoyed, "I believe I told you to inform Yusuke in advance.." Tsubaki giggled a little, and Natasha had to bite one back, herself, when Yusuke rounded on the albino in annoyance. "Tsuba-nii, you didn't tell me on purpose, didn't you?!"

"On purpose?" the lavender eye boy pouted, "I'm hurt~!" Natasha was two seconds away from stepping between them, until Yusuke's eyes slid to her, and she froze on the spot, his face turned slightly away as he stared at her. "I.. I'm not accepting this.." He had just the slightest pout to his lower lip, but his eyes were burning in a mixture of things.. Foremost being anger..

"Wait-" she tried, but he was already walking away, his back to her, "Like hell am I having a classmate for a sister.." _Ouch_.. she physically flinched at that, letting a sad smile touch her mouth when Tsubaki moved to follow him. "Really, what's this?" he was nearly on the redheads heels, much to the aforementioned's ire, "You're not accepting this..? What are you going to do, specifically?"

They were already nearing the piano on their way toward the door. "Shut up-!" Yusuke snapped at him, wheeling around so they were face to face, "This had nothing to do with you, Tsuba-nii-!"

"Chii?" Juli called gently, and she paused her watching of the argument to glance at him. "Are you okay? Your coloring doesn't look too good..." "Ah," Natasha shook her head to clear it, before giving him her attention, "No, I'm fine, Juli. Thank you.." The rattle of beads tickled at her ears, and she turned her head to face the stairs, where a tall man with long golden hair and hazel eyes was walking down the stairs. He was in a traditional monk's garb, a simple black ensemble with a purple and golden sash. His fingers were adorned in silver rings and he had a string of black beads around his neck, as well as a string of black twine.

"We meet at last, Imouto-chan," he called warmly, and his rich, deep voice almost had her head reeling from sensory overload.. So much male testosterone..

As he walked up to her he took her hand in one of his, lifting it up gently until she met his eyes, "If you ever want to hear an inspiring Buddhist sermon, feel free to come see Big Brother any time.." he leaned down to kiss her knuckles, and her mind once again retreated at the human contact. How exactly was she supposed to react to such actions if they've never happened to her, before..?

"Kana-nii-!" Yusuke snapped, and she whipped her head around to find Yusuke in a choke hold at the crook of Tsubaki's arm, and as she turned her head the other way, Iori and Subaru were entering from the outside door, watching in stoic/surprised/confused silence. Before Kaname could completely drop her hand, however, Juli had scurried up her arm at sat at her wrist staring him in the eye.

"Hey," Kaname smiled, slightly, "You're that-" Natasha reached up and grasped Juli back as he swiped at Kaname, her eyes hard as a growl rumbled in her throat, pressing the squirrel there to hear her sound of warning, and while he did calm, slightly, he was still squirming and trying to lunge for Kaname. She groaned, grasping him by the scruff in one hand as holding it far away from Kaname, who had sprung to his full height in surprise, holding his nose delicately. "I am so sorry," she apologized sincerely, reaching up a hand to touch the one cradling his nose, "He isn't usually this violent.. Did he hurt you?" "No, Imouto-chan," he smiled, waving her off, with a smile as he held her inquiring hand, "If you hadn't pulled him off, though, it would have been worse.." "He's ornery because he doesn't have my full attention," Natasha smiled as way of explanation, bringing the critter to her chest with another silent growl as she murmured for him to behave. "Really, Juli," she sighed, this time loud enough for others to hear, though she paid them no mind, "You'd think with the fresh start, you'd suck up to them for acorns.."

He grumbled something unintelligible as she held him, burrowing his face between the dip in her breasts as he brooded like a child. Soon, she was seated at the couch, near the center, Kaname on her right side, going out followed by Subaru, Tsubaki and Azuza, then on her left starting with Wataru, then Masaomi, followed by Yusuke, Iori and Ukyo.

She'd set Juli there with the silent warning to behave as she adjusted in her seat in the comfortable silence, fixing her hoodie sleeves around her wrists in thought.

"Is this room too cold for you?" she glanced up to her left to lock eyes with Masaomi, a soft smile touching her lips as she shook her head, "Aah, no, I'm fine, Masaomi-san.."

Kaname's arm on the back of the couch shifted, and her attention was drawn to that. "In fact," the blonde commented smoothly, "It's almost stifling, right? With so many of us gathered here..?" "No, really," Natasha waved her hands, her head shaking in the negative, "It's not that.. Though.." she lowered her hands as she gave him a look of sincere apology, "I'm really sorry about what Juli did earlier.."

He chuckled slightly, his eyes closing with his smile, "It's all good," he nodded his head toward the brooding squirrel at his newest sister's shoulder. "He's my darling imouto-chan's pet, after all. I'll be doting on him, too.." Juli was just a few inches from him in an instant, screeching like mad in his anger, and sending the monk into awkward laughter as he leaned back. "Juli," Natasha warned firmly, opening her arms as he turned, and hopped into them, snuggling into the warmth of her stomach, despite her chastise with him, her tone lacking the strength to sound reprimanding. Instead, she apologized again to Kaname, bowing her head slightly in apology, though colors swam behind her eyes, she focused her mind to be still, and she played it off with an arm stretch.

Iori was actually the next to speak, his tone cool and calm, "Are you surprised? To suddenly have so many brothers?" "Oh," she smiled at him gently, nodding her head, "Yes.. it might.. Take some getting used to.." she sat up straighter as her vision cleared and she sighed, "My father had told me about all of you, but it's still a little.. overwhelming.."

"I'm happy I have an Onee-chan, now," Wataru chirped bright, giving her a beaming smile and putting his hands at her nearest elbow. "Hey, I'll show you a huge bunny! So come to my room-!" His eager little face made her heart melt and she had to resist the adorable puppy-dog eyes as Masaomi spoke up, putting a hand on the child's shoulder, "Wataru, you can do that later," he called calmly, and the smaller child turned to him expectantly, "Okay.." Wataru complied, but pouted all the same. "There are still two others who live elsewhere," Kaname informed her calmly, bending over to reach for the remote as he spoke, "and still two more because of work.." He held the remote up at the TV expectantly as he continued, "And one of those is this guy.."

The television lit up in an explosion of color, and a concert was being played, Natasha sat forward a little to inspect it, curious to see if Futo looked as uncanny in the anime as he did in her now anime-vision glass on everything.. Well, he did look the same, she admit silently, though she knew how much of an ass he was and was going to torment the hell out of him if he so much as looked at her in the wrong way..

"It's Fu-ton-!" Wataru chirped happily. Natasha, for the sake of appearances, asked who he meant. "Talk about a phoney-looking smile," Tsubaki commented, hugging a pillow to his chest as he watched. Natasha silently agreed. Azuza merely chuckled in response. Subaru piped in, as if in realization, "Oh, he's on tour.."

"Now that you mention it," Iori smiled, watching along with everyone else, "I'd been thinking I hadn't seen him around.."

"I hear he's in Hokkaido," Yusuke shrugged, watching with annoyance for the topic, but interest in being involved. "Then we will ask him to bring crabs or sea urchin as a souvenir," Ukyo greed thoughtfully. "Souvenir?" Natasha repeated, honestly confused, that time, _families actually did that..?_ It was.. A nice thought..

"Futo is our younger brother," Masaomi informed her calmly, "Asakura is his stage name and he's actually Asahina Futo, age fifteen.."

"Huh," she breathed softly, her eyes glazing over as past memories boiled up and reached her eyes, showing a woman with long black hair in a stylish updo with a black haired five year old, both with equally crystal blue eyes. She shook the thought away before it could fester into an unpleasant expression. Trying to distract herself, she brought her eyes along the line of boys around her, wondering about how the future may play out. About halfway through the last side, she caught Subaru's eyes. He faced forward quickly, but before she could turn back calmly as well, Kaname tilted his head to her with a sultry wink.

She took a deep breath in as she looked back to the television, lowering her eyes to focus on Juli, however, as her eyes went lower, her lids decided to follow suit, allowing the darkness a brief moment to relief her dizzy fit.

"Is something the matter?"

Masaomi voice cut into the inky, soothing depths of her mind, and she fought a moment, before she was able to leave it, her eyes blinking slightly to focus on him as she gave him a reassuring smile. "It's alright Masaomi-san.. I just felt light headed for a second.." she lifted a hand to wave it in the air lightly, as if brushing the problem away as she leaned forward slightly in her seat. Juli looked up at her, his eyes wide and anxious. "Chii?"

She looked down to focus at him, but a cyclone of thoughts seemed to hit her all at once, and as she moved to catch her balance, she pitched forward, missing the table with her hands at first, clipping her elbow in the process, but finally steady. She took a quarter of a second to find her breathing before she felt the commotion around her, several unnamed shouts and a pair of sweet, cool hands. "You.. bur.. up." the voice waved in and out of focus as she battled her mind, the dark presence actually attempting to help her by attempting to expel the nausea. At least, if she got sick, she'd be able to hold it until they were near a restroom.

She felt the cool hands leave her face, and a soft breathy whine left her lips, before it became a rumbly purr as she was pulled into a pair of cool arms and against a luke-warm surface, the wall-pillow thumping erratically beneath her ear as she snuggled into what felt like satin.

The next thing she knew, was that she was lying beneath something thick and heavy, and that an artificial light was burning her retinas.

It was nearly thirty minutes after that before she was able to properly apologize, her eyes hazy as she forced herself to focus on Masaomi, Ukyo and Kaname, all three of which who were in her room, tending to her. "I apologize for freaking you out," she spoke softly, her voice heavy with the promise of sleep waiting for her, "I should be good to go, now.. I'm really, really sorry.."

"You don't need to apologize, Imouto-chan," Kaname spoke up calmly, his voice hinting at the final-word tone, "and fortunately, we have a doctor in the house.."

"I'm a pediatrician, though," Masaomi smiled bashfully when she'd turned her big eyes to him in awe and thanks, "but you can come and see me for anything.." "Thank you, very much," Natasha smiled, her cheek pressed lovingly into the soft downy pillow. "I feel a lot better, actually.."

"Exhaustion is probably part of it," Juli chastised her gently, running his paws through her hair soothingly, "You packed up for the move all by yourself, and you didn't get much sleep last night, either.." "Juli," she murmured, apologetic, "I'm sorry for worrying you.."

"Sounds like you had a lot to deal with.."

The voice cut into the room as the door was opened by a pale boy with long, cream silk hair, and lavender maroon eyes. He wore a light blue coat with white polka dots over a black and white patterned shirt and magenta pants. Pretty stylish, in his own, unique way.

"Oh," Kaname called, "I had no idea you returned home."

"Yup," the newcomer sighed, "I heard.. People talking.." he paused. "So I came."

"I told you about him, earlier," Kaname explained quietly, mindful of her migraine, "He's the eighth son, Louis."

Natasha had, at this point, forced herself to sit up, putting her arms around Juli in case he got any ideas, "I'm sorry," she tilted her head towards him apologetically, "That you had to see me in such a weak state.. I'm.." she searched for the word, tilting her head as she pursed her lips in thought, "Usually a lot more hyper.. and energetic.. And crazy.." she added the last one as an afterthought, though it got a few chuckles. Louis moved deeper into the room and knelt by her bedside, his expression kind. "You're not to blame, Chii... You got ready by yourself… and then you were surrounded by all these new people on your first day… so it wore you out, right…?" "Oh, no," Natasha dismissed it awkwardly, rubbing at the back of her neck, upsetting the messy white bun placed there for convenience. Louis' eyes suddenly went shiny, and his lips puckered, "Your hair.. Is beautiful.." he murmured, "When your cold.. Gets better… let me do… your hair…"

"Sure," Natasha nodded without a second thought, tilting her head as her filter switched off, "If it's half as good as yours it would be amazing.." He paused at that, eyes blinking wide as he tilted his head. "Louis is a hair stylist," Ukyo spoke calmly, his smile cool. Natasha hummed in understanding, and Louis seemed to break from his spell, giving her a soft, sweet smile as his eyes pinched shut.

"Oh," Masaomi caught her attention next as he inspected her for visible signs of dizziness, "You don't feel dizzy, even when you're sitting up?" "Oh, no," Natasha smiled sheepishly, rubbing at the back of her neck as she glanced toward the ceiling, "It looks like the medicine is working wonders.. I've never really had chemical based medicines work for me, other than vaccinations.. I prefer using herbal remedies and cold and hot packs.." "They don't work?" Masaomi seemed confused, and equal parts intrigued, "Not one?" She shook her head slowly, not testing the waters just yet. "No, only herbal has ever worked," at the calculations she could see churning in the back of his brain, she was quick to insert, "Oh-! But I already have a case full of herbal remedies in case I ever need anything-!" she was shaking her hands in front of her at this point as she rambled, "So there's no need to make me a special case-! I'll come to you if I break an arm, but that's about the only thing I can't fix.."

"You like to deal with your own problems, don't you?" he smiled slightly, and she felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment, "Well.. yeah.." she admit quietly, "It's easier that way.."

Masaomi sighed, standing up to leave, his fingers found her head and patted the strands almost absentmindedly thrice before he'd turned to Ukyo, his face relaxed, "I think she should be fine now, but make her rice porridge for dinner.."

"Certainly," Ukyo smiled, "I'll go prepare it for you.."

"That's very kind of you," Natasha smiled awkwardly, "I just wish you all didn't have to go through so much trouble.." Her fingers had wound into her hair quickly, soothing the tingles of touch aversion with soft, quick touches.

"Oh," Ukyo added, turning to her again as the others copied, so she head four sets of eyes (not including Juli's) aimed solely at her. "Also, when you go for your bath today, please use the one on the fifth floor.. The bath attached to this room is not working right now.. There's a rough layout of the place on your desk.." "All right," she smiled, "Thank you for the warning.." "No long baths now," Kaname said in a tone befitting of a mother who tended to wag her finger at a child, "Good night," he smiled before he shut the door, "Imouto-chan.."

"What's wrong, Chii?" Juli sounded worried as she continued to stare at the door for several long, silent moments. "Hmm?" Natasha blinked back to awareness, before giving him a slight smile, "It's just.. Been a long time.." she shifted in her bed as she lied back, her eyes half-lidded and her mind on other things, "..since someone's said goodnight to me.."

 _I guess this is what it's like to have an actual family.._

* * *

It was around a quarter past ten by the time her internal alarm clock warned her to be in a bathroom within the next ten minutes. She carefully stood from the bed, sighing as she wrapped Juli in a soft blanket and moved to open the door. As she was pushing it out, it caught on something, and she peered out to see a cart covered in goodies… there were water bottles.. Bananas.. Apples, a thermos.. Even flowers and a bunny rabbit. She couldn't help but smile, looking up with a start at Kaname's voice. "Did I wake you?"

"Oh, no," she smiled reassuringly, her voice dry with lack of liquid as she attempted to joke, "I'm usually insomniac, so this is sleeping in for me.." He chuckled a bit, nodding towards the cart in front of her, "Those are treats and gifts from everyone.." He was quick to help her get it back into her room, and she stuttered a thank you as she watched him come inside. While the room wasn't much, now, she was planning on a load of decorative work. Plans of which were tucked into the current desk drawer.

"A-Ah, thanks, K-Kaname-san," she flushed red in embarrassment when her voice cracked, almost immediately, rolling a water bottle up over one arm and tossing it to the next, twisting the cap quickly and taking several deep chugs. She capped it quickly with a sigh, smiling towards him in thanks. "You know," he smiled gently as they stepped back out, "You can call me Aniki.." Natasha blinked in surprise at the lack of formality, but gave a slight nod, shifting on her feet as she glanced to the side. "A.. Aniki.." it nearly sounded like a question, _dear god_.. "Nice, nice," he grinned, meeting her eyes, "One more time.." She felt a blush crawling across her face as she crossed her arms behind her back, Kaname suddenly seemed a lot closer, "Aniki.." "Mmm," he hummed, tilting his face away as he let out a soothing breath. Natasha swallowed softly, tilting her head towards the door where Juli lay burritoed upon her bed.

"Think you can sleep?" he asked gently. She giggled lightly at that, running a hand across her neck, "Oh, yeah.. Pretty sure I'll meet the four hour quota.." "Want your Aniki to sleep next to you?" he asked lightly, and his expression was innocent, despite the pooling depths of his eyes. "O-oh," she stuttered, giving a soft laugh as she leaned back against the door, _man_ was he a charmer.. "Oh no.. I'm good.." He sighed, as if in disappointment, "I see, well that's too bad," he offered her a pleasant smile, "But if there's anything else you need, let Aniki know, all right." "Thank you," she nodded again.

His hand found her chin, tilting her face towards his with utmost care, "Then, good night." His lips brushed gently across her cheek, and she almost heard a bell chime. She heard the floor creak beside them, and she glanced down to see a frozen Juli. However, as Kaname pulled back ever so slightly, frozen-Juli was replaced with Juli-out-of-hell.

"Please don't tease me," Natasha shot her eyes up to him almost out of fear to avoid eye contact with the bow-wearing guardian, her tone gentle and tired. "Oh," he pulled back just a bit so he could see her entire face, his fingers still brushing her chin, "Who knows..? I might be serious.." She couldn't help the snort that left her lips, before she was doubled over laughing, holding her sides in pain as his eyebrows raised, "O.. Of all things-!" she struggled to keep down her volume, "T-That has to be a joke-! Right-?!" She slowly calmed down as she straightened her posture, wiping away an imaginary tear as she met his stupefied expression, her tone warm, "To me, you seem like a nice person," she waved a hand in the air, as if searching for the proper way to say it, "And nice men don't normally consort with social rejects.. You've got to have at least three.. No.. four fan clubs.." she joked lightly, meeting his eyes as they turned a darker shade. He stood up straight, then, giving her a polite distance to breath, "I'd feel bad if I made your temperature go up any higher.." he offered her a smile as he moved out the door and into the hallway, "So I'll hold myself in check for today.." He made it a few steps, but then stopped.

"But once you're better.." he turned his head back to meet her eyes, and she resisted the urge to grab onto the door frame for support at the intensity, "Well then.." he winked, "Share an even more amazing kiss with me..?" He turned to leave without another word, and as he disappeared around the corner, she allowed herself to sag into the door like a mushy pre-teen, her expression horrified as she touched her cheek, "Arrow's gonna kill me.."

"A bit late for that.. But.. Why on this earth _would_ I do that?" the smooth timbre behind her had her grasping for the door, sending the blonde angel a sharp glare at his trick, "That was _so_ uncalled for.." "Sick, are we?" he chuckled, moving to float above her desk before sitting on top it with ease, "And already playing with matches.." "Shut it, feathers," she muttered, mortified as she moved to go through her boxes, gathering a small basket of toiletries. Juli scurried near her side, his tone concerned, "Are you really sure you're up for taking a bath?"

"Yep," Natasha sent him a placating smile, "I got some sleep, and my temps down, so I should be good to go.." The flap of the box she was searching through moved as Juli hopped onto it, his attempt at being eye-level. "But I'm worried-!" he pouted, "I will escort you."

" _Juli_ ," she whined, lifting her things with a sigh as she stood, "Its literally just up a floor and around the corner.. Nothing is going to happen." Arrow snorted at that, only to get a bar of soap to the face. He rubbed his cheek soothingly as he met her glare, offering the tiny rodent a small smile, "She can handle herself for ten minutes.."

Following the map was much easier than she'd expected, and she'd moved to traverse the dark, silent halls with a contented sigh. She glanced over the guardrail into the living room, and blew a loving kiss to the piano before she continued on her way to the left. Juli ran ahead of her, peering around each corner, mission impossible-style. She sighed, shaking her head as she passed him. She hooked a right at the end of the hall, coming to the last door. She ran a hand through her hair at the silence, rolling her eyes as she pulled it open, moving to step in, but halting in her tracks mid-step. Subaru, clad only in a towel, was leaning against the counter of the sink, sipping silently from his water in a relaxed posture. Her posture, on the other hand, was rigid, as she felt his eyes snap to her in surprise, and confusion. "Oh, you?"

 _I have a name.._ She inwardly muttered, though her outward expression was beginning to darken in embarrassment as she stepped back from the door, flinching when he poked his head out of it a second later, "Are you okay?" "Ye-Yeah-S-Sorry-!"she stepped back a bit, turning her eyes to the ceiling as she ran a hand down her face, covering her mouth. It took about seven seconds for him to realize what was was going on before he practically lunged to hide behind the door, "My bad-!"

"I-It's fine~" she sang awkwardly, letting a feeble laugh leave her lips t break the tension, "I once walked into the men's locker room on accident in my middle school.. So it isn't the first time.."

He hummed in awkward surprise at that, and she kept her back to the door, Juli hissing slightly near her ear, so rather than having the squirrel harm a potential friend, she bowed sideways a bit before turning to head back, "Excuse me.."

She felt Subaru's eyes on her back up until she had turned the corner, leaning against the wall with a sigh of relief as she tried to get her pulse back to it's normal beat. "Well that could have gone better," she murmured, panting slightly as she caught her breath. "That's the problem with living with these darn males," Juli exclaimed in an I-told-you-so-so-let's-hitch-tail-out-of-here-stat, tone. "Juli.." she began softly, giving him an exasperated look, "There's really not a lot you can do about this, right now…"

"There's something I just have to tell you," a voice rang around the corner, and she held back a laugh, sighing as she straightened her posture and helped Juli onto her shoulder, toiletries still in hand as she trained her ears for more.. _So it was at that part, already_.. "We've been together, forever, right?"

She slid down the hallway in silence and curiosity, tilting her head, as she pressed her fingers into her palms, taking a deep breath in as she thought back to her voice-actor obsession days.. She knew a lot of the roles they played in her world.. But if they were real in this world, that had yet to be determined.

"That's true," Azusa's voice agreed, calmly. "But lately.." Tsubaki spoke slowly, the intensity in his voice giving her an anime high she hadn't had in quite a while, "when I'm with you, it's kind of like.."

"What's wrong?" Subaru's voice caused her to jump, wheeling her head around with a hand over her mouth in surprise, "Scare me, why don't you?" she shuddered, her voice quiet before turning back to the duo, peaking below the railing with wide eyes at Tsubaki's words. "My hearts starts hammering, and I feel restless.." She held back a squeal when she saw how close they were sitting together, desperately wanting to create a camera but unable to do so with Subaru right behind her.

"And I get irritated when you're being friendly with other guys and stuff.." _Well.. that line could use a bit of work…._

"What?" Azuza sounded confused. Natasha was nearly vibrating with excitement, ignoring Subaru who had gotten closer to her hiding spot to see what she was doing. "I love you," Tsubaki exclaimed, "I want you to be mine-!" Natasha felt the high switch off like a tap.. _Damn_ , she inwardly pouted, that needed just a bit of work.. _Not enough.. Passion_..

"So those two are both guys and that's how they are?" Juli sounded curious. Natasha shrugged, murmuring back, Subaru just barely catching her, "Eh, to each his own."

"Uh, no," Subaru called back to her, watching as she stood to leave, pink on her face from what he assumed was embarrassment, "Those guys are.." "It's fine," she sent him a tiny smile, moving to go towards the elevator, "I should go back to my room.." "S-.. Sure.." he murmured, dumbfounded as she moved to press the button.

"What's this, what's going on?" Tsubaki called up, and Natasha jumped, once again, to face the now stair climbing duo. She held Juli to her chest fiercely, making sure he didn't get incentive to lunge and scratch. "How are you feeling?" Azuza asked gently. She pictured Shu in her mind and forced herself not to imagine other things that could be taken the wrong way.. "You're face is bright red," Tsubaki pointed out curiously, Azuza agreeing, "Maybe you're still feverish." _So much for not imagining Sakamaki Shu-sama…_ the whispers were rolling in their laughter as they fueled the images.

"T-That's not it," she chuckled weakly, tilting her head toward the elevator as she rubbed her neck, god, how does she broach the subject 'does Diabolik Lovers exist on this planet?'..?

The twins shared a look, confused, and she forced her mind to dispel any and all pride as she internally dusted off her acting skills. Might as well play it off, like..

"Then, is there something you need?" Azuza inquired gently. She smacked the laughing entity in the back of her mind, before forcing her pet into the crook of her arm, he seemed especially squirrely at this point..

"I know-!" Tsubaki cheered, and she looked up in actual surprise, "Maybe you can't sleep by yourself or something?" _Is everyone's impression of a girl a feeble little mouse?_ The whisper hissed, and she silently agreed, before Tsubaki continued, leaning closer to her brightly, "If that's the case, I'll sleep with you.." "Ah-" she raised a single hand to say no, "I'm fine, really.." "Tsuba-nii," Subaru warned, sounding annoyed. "Seriously," Azuza assured her with a patient smile, "You can tell us anything.." "We're your brothers after all," Tsubaki agreed wholeheartedly. She resisted the urge to break down and hug the both of them for their cuteness so early in in the series.. "R-Right.."

"Chii," Juli had his guide-voice of wisdom going on, "you may as well come clean about what you overheard. " He scurried up to her shoulder, speaking quietly, "It'd be more unfair not to tell them." She wanted to correct Juli on the situation, but shrugged it off, instead, she bowed her head slightly with a tiny smile, her voice quiet, but light, much to their confusion and shock. "You have my support," she lifted her eyes calmly with a bit back grin, "No matter what happens, we're family, after all.."

"Uhh," Subaru tried to gain her attention, subtly, "no, you know.." he trialed off in confusion, trying to find the words. Unfortunately for the both of them, Tsubaki caught on pretty quick, after she'd said, "I kind of.. Overheard.. The conversation.. On the way back to my room.."

"Conversation..?" Azuza repeated, blankly, then chuckled, "Oh, so that's it.." "Ah-ha, now it makes sense," the white haired male transitioned from reality to acting before she could blink, but damn was he almost convincing.. "That's right," he murmured, weakly, "I couldn't hold it in anymore.. I couldn't stop myself, so I declared my love for Azuza, just now.."

"D-Declared?" Subaru chocked, flabbergasted by the entire situation.

"For some reason," she titled her head to the side as she shifted her feet, patting herself on the back for the flawless performance, so far.. If Tsubaki and her paired up for an acting duo.. _Look out Broadway_.. "I feel I should apologize for this.."

"Its fine, its fine," Tsubaki sang gently, doubling back to envelop his brother in his arms, all the while Azuza stood calmly, ignoring him, "Besides, the love is mutual between us.. Right, Azuza?" he purred, giving what Natasha had described as 'bedroom eyes' to his twin as he leaned over to peck his ink-haired counterpart on the lips. At this point, she was restraining herself from jumping at them. This was seriously becoming too much to handle for one day..

"Tsubaki," Azuza warned him, dully.

Feeling the laughter bubble in her throat, she bowed quickly, stuttering something along the lines of 'I wish you happiness' before she bolted for the hallway, hands over her mouth as her throat constricted with soft, simpering mewls. She heard Tsubaki burst out laughing behind her a she leaned against the wall, shoulders trembling in an effort not to give herself away. "Your reactions were priceless-!" he exclaimed, giggles lacing his words, "Both you and Subaru-!" She turned to look at them as she ground her teeth, face flushed in strain as Azuza and Tsubaki watched her from the mouth of the hallway. "We were doing a read-through of a script," the raven explained, only to furrows his brows in concern as both he and his brother moved swiftly to her sides. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly, Tsubaki leaning closer to inspect her entirely pink face. Her hands had come up to wave his away she shook her head, giving them a, 'uh-uh' squeak at their proximity. "Imouto," Tsubaki started, only to be cut off as she collapsed to her knees, he'd dived, and she was in his arms and clinging to his chest before he registered that she was full-blown laughing, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes as she shuddered in his arms.

The three older males watched her in silence as she wracked with laughter, throwing her head back and releasing all of the pent up stress the day had caused.. It took her a few minutes to calm enough to breath, although each exhale was laced in shuddering giggles. Tsubaki helped her to her feet, but didn't release her arms, allowing her to sag against his side with another soft giggle, "Believe it or not," she whispered to the three, eyes hazy with post comedic relief, "That wasn't the most embarrassing thing that has happened today." "Heh," Tsubaki chuckled, watching as she wiped away her tears and helped with the sleeve of his coat. "Azuza and I, we're both voice actors.."

"Oh," she stepped out of his arms lightly, oblivious to the dejected way they had hovered, before falling to his sides, "I've kept you from your work, then.. Sorry.." "It's fine," Tsubaki smiled at her adorable little pout, "Nevermind that.." he waved it off, grinning, "Would you be my practice partner, now?" He grinned at her curiously lifting eyes, "I think that'd get me hyped up.."

"Okay, now, enough with the jokes," Azuza chastised calmly, a smile on his lips. "Sorry," Tsubaki smiled gently at her, lifting his hand to pat her soft white locks gently, "I know you're just on the mend.." "Seriously," Subaru apologized as she looked up to him, "I'm sorry all of my older brothers are so weird.." "N.." she shook her head, before giving him a bright smile, "Not at all.."

She'd somehow escaped to her room after that, collapsing on her new bed in exhaustion and breathing in a sweet vanilla scent as she clutched her shirt, voice low. "My heart's still racing.. Almost in the NASCAR speeds, at this point.." "Chii," Juli called gently, hopping onto the shelf above her bed and curling into a basket of mini blankets and pillows she had designated as his place, "get some rest for today.. I'll stay awake until you fall asleep.." "Thank you, Juli," she murmured softly, reaching up blearily to pet his ear before shakily curling back up, sighing out the rest of her energy, and falling into the inky black abyss once more..

* * *

 **Thought I'd give a longer chapter to finish off the first episode..**

 **Eh heh... *looks away in fear***

 **Natasha: *glaring at Violet***

 **Look, it's not a big deal-**

 **Natasha** **: *glares harder***

 **Ehh.. I should.. just.. yeah..**

 **Natasha: Violet Rose does no own Brothers Conflict.**

 **I only own my Original Characters and original product ideas, any likeness to actual products or people is purely coincidental.**

 **Natasha: Rate and Review, please!**


	4. Chapter 2: part 1

Natasha slid her curtains open to reveal the warm sunlight, her eyes blinking slowly as she breathed in and out, letting her mind clear as Arrow began listing off the rules of Travel and it's limitations.. Huh, you might be lost..

My name _was_ Natasha Wolfe, just a few weeks days ago, but recently, I had been involved in a terrible car accident.. Something that actually _shouldn't_ have happened, if Arrow's mission report was correct. Apparently it was only supposed to be a near death experience in an effort to get me to start worshiping the big guy on a regular basis, however.. My luck has a way of turning rotten..

Arrow is a guardian angel.. Emphasis on guard.. Skin at a deep golden tan, and sharp, depth defying emerald eyes. He's almost six and a half feet, with long, liquid golden waves of hair that fell in pools around his shoulders. His white tailcoat was pristine, as always, the light cream gold accents tracing the outline of it. He also wore pressed white, creased slacks, and shiny black boots. He wore a golden crucifix around his neck, and several large, thick golden rings with blazing stones on several fingers. His wings, which she had stared at for the better part of thirty minutes after sorting out the whole death issue, were a soft, golden grey, and indescribably soft. However, the feathers seemed to have a habit of sticking to one's tongue should they try speaking and are swatted with a wall of feathers. Currently, he was munching on a bar of chocolate, not a single crumb or stain to either his ensemble, though, she mused to herself, it could very well have been due to his new chocolate addiction.. For a full grown male who looked to be in his late twenties.. He could pack it away like a ten year old child..

"Chii," Juli called, and she turned her head to smile at the grey furred, white bellied squirrel as he scrambled up to her shoulder, his signature red bow and flashy white polka dots sporting his collar. "Today is another day of doing battle with those top-of-the-line males-!" His fur was bristled until she'd reached up to pet him, her sigh heavy as she shook her head, "Juli.." her tone was chastising as she checked the mirror against the closet, eyes now clear of fog and perky, by her standards, though it wasn't much. Reality more prominent to give such a look a title befitting 'just before the cusp of murder but temporarily tolerable of humanity..'

"Don't let your guard down-!" Juli warned.

She listened to him convize a battle strategy as she checked the uniform, making sure she had the invisible-but-not skin tight leggings beneath the thigh-length skirt, and that her jacket was nearby for comfort, if need be.

By the time she had left her room to find the dining area, she could already smell a wonderful aroma. She leaned over the guardrail to peak at the table, watching Ukyo set out a final bowl before she called out to him politely. "Good morning."

He turned his head up to smile at her, an empty tray in hand, "Good morning," he greeted gently, his lime green apron sporting two kittens at the breast. She had to resist the urge to coo. "Were you able to sleep well?" "Yep," she grinned, "Thank you for asking." She moved to tiptoe down the stairs with fairy feet, holding Juli in place as she reached the bottom stair and slowed to inspect the table, closing her eyes as she breathed in he scents. "Mmm.. Did you make all this, Ukyo-san?" she asked brightly, flashing her teeth in a smile as Juli moved to inspect the 'well made traditional Japanese breakfast'.

"I am in charge of the cooking, you see," he nodded, moving to take a cart back into the kitchen. "Can I help with anything?" her voice traveled to the kitchen, and he glanced over in polite surprise, before turning to check a magnetic chart with many different colored dots on it. "Then," he nodded as she strolled in smoothly, "Could I ask you to dish out the rice? We have a lot of late risers.. So for today, please set out four bowls.." "Aye Cap'n." She saluted to him quickly, moving to wash her hands in the sink. She took two minutes to dish the rice before setting the bowls on a tray, bringing it back out to the table as she set one beside each place. She heard little patters of feet, and turned her head to see a drowsy Wataru rubbing at his eyes. She smiled at him gently, fixing the last bowl in its proper place before she turned to greet him.

"Morning, Onee-chan," he murmured sleepily, and she smiled, running her fingers through his hair to smooth the strands, "Good morning, Taru-chan.." she sang sweetly. He giggled softly, reaching up to hold her hand in place atop his head, "I'm so happy-! You'll be having breakfast with us from now on, won't you?" "Yep," she grinned, patting his head before steering him toward the table, "And looking forward to it, too.."

She had just helped him into his seat, poking his nose lightly to make him smile, when two more sets of footsteps were heard from the stairwell. She glanced up just in time to see Yusuke, followed by Subaru, waving toward them with a polite smile. "Morning."

Yusuke met her eyes, taking one more step in his pause before he grunted out a, "Hey," and continued on, Subaru following a similar pattern as they moved to sit at the table.

"What a rare sight," Ukyo smiled from the half-wall beside the kitchen, "Yusuke getting up for breakfast.." Juli was on him in a second, just six inches from the red head and hissing like mad. Natasha swooped over and grasped his bow, holding him up to be eye level with her as she listened to his cursing. After a moment, she flinched, and gave an apologetic look to Yusuke, "I am so sorry for his behavior.." then, toward Juli, "Do I need to by a soap dropper?" she frowned, turning him to face her, while he hung dejectedly, "Use that curse word towards them again and I will put the money into it.. That's no language for a young man.." "I'm older than you-!" he whined, but complied as she put him onto her shoulder, moving to sit beside Wataru-chan, "I swear, I don't even know where you learned those words? Do you watch television while I'm at school?" she sent him an accusing look, "Or are you leaving the house..?"

He chittered a response along the lines of "Why don't you trust me?" and "There's nothing else to do but watch tv some days!", and with sigh, she let it drop.

Natasha found herself twenty minutes later packaged in a tight train, sandwiched between the window and Yusuke as she held onto the safety straps for dear life. "Ah," she couldn't take the awkward silence any longer, and forced herself to socialize. "I'm sorry about Juli's behavior, earlier.. He's not really used to being around a lot of young men.." "More like, are you okay?" He asked. She was surprised he had even replied at all, let alone inquiring about her. "I mean, you suddenly have all these brothers, so I thought.. You might be feeling lost, or something.."

She couldn't help the sweet smile that touched her lips, golden eyes blinking softly as his face turned, his chocolate orbs focused on the people around them. "Like all changes, it will take some time to get used to it," she chuckled slightly, and he turned his face further away from her to glare out a different window, though she continued, "But everyone seems really nice.." She shifted her elbow out to nudge him, and he looked down at her bright smile, "So.. thank you, for worrying about me, Yusuke-san.."

"Dumba-" he started, then caught himself, turning again to face the others while she bit back a laugh, he was so cute when he was flustered~ "That's not it," he grimaced, "It's nothing like that.." The rest of the ride was passed in relative silence, though as soon as they had gotten to the school he was pulled away by his friends. She'd also slid into the swarm of people entering the classroom and took her seat at her desk, setting out her supplies and turning to the chapter they would be working on. The material, she had found, was disappointing.. Nothing that she hadn't already done in her previous life, before.. So, seeing as there was nothing new to learn about, she pulled a sketchbook from her bag, and began to doodle.

* * *

Class had passed by relatively smoothly, minus a hiccup in which Yusuke had shouted into his book in the middle of a lecture. She had nearly jumped a foot in the air at that, swinging her arm over the back of the chair to face him. He looked as stunned as everyone else did, before he retreated into the cave of his arms after the sensei had scolded him. She offered him a small smile as he peaked out again a few minutes later, the visible skin flushing a bright pink before the turtle retreated again. By the end of the day, she'd filled up a good six pages of the sketchbook, drawn, shaded, and technicolored, the whole nine yards.. Arrow had given her his condolences this morning, stating that he had business to take care of up top in _this_ world's silver lining..

So she was left to go home on her own, Yusuke having to stay after for weekly duties. She trudged into the building with a sigh, calling out to the house as she switched her shoes for slippers and moved to put her bag in her room. Feeling peckish, she emerged minutes later to scout the kitchen, already a plan to make cookies for the brothers. She glanced around at the unusually empty living room in confusion, a nagging suspicion in the back of her brain that something wasn't right. "There's noone here.." her words almost sounded like a question, but Juli was quick to sniff the air, his presence at her feet, since she was in the middle of pulling on a soft black hoodie over her now light lavender spaghetti tank top and a pair of torn in the knee skinny jeans, making sure her hair was pulled back and hidden beneath the dark hood. She'd also twisted the ring Arrow had given her back onto her left middle finger, placing a silver iron one on the ring finger and slipped a sterling silver chain necklace around her throat.

"No," Juli denied quickly, his ears twitching in a radar-fashion, "I sense the presence of a male.." she furrowed her brow as she moved to go towards the piano, halting in her steps as she glanced at the couch, a chill running up her spine at the sight of a young male sprawled out along the cushions, sleeping peacefully. She blinked away her shock quickly, "Futo..?" she murmured, eyebrows furrowed as she searched his face for evil intent, and, finding none, settling to memorize what she was surely going to find as his only truly tolerably pleasant moments. Juli chittered softly, mindful of the sleeping male, "The twelfth son, who's a pop star or something, huh?" "Or something," she smiled at her joke, Juli grunting softly in answer, she shrugged, her smirk pleased, "Well, you can't please everyone.."

"Who are you?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin as she looked down, twin pools of honey brown watching her in fatigue, lifting his arm to rest above his head as he shifted to face her, "Someone's woman..?"

"What?" was her immediate response, followed closely by a "-the hell- no!"

"I don't know how you got in here," he spoke lowly, and she could feel tendrils of deeper meaning beneath his tone snaking up her legs, keeping her in place, "but do you think you can get away with pulling a stunt like this?" She felt anxiety pressing into her throat as she swallowed, pulling Juli off of her shoulder and shooing him toward her feet, much to his chittered protests, though she held the idol's eyes, however uncertainly, "I came to this house yesterday.. I don't know why you would think.."

"Oh," realization dawned in his eyes, and she held back a shudder as he sat up, inevitably putting himself closer to her, "The daughter of the man that Miwa is getting remarried, to.."

"Right," she sighed, a little of the tension leaving, but springing back up full force as he got to his feet, walking around the couch and up to her. "Hmm," his eyes appraised her as if she were some piece of meat, and she discreetly tugged the black hoodie over her head further, almost having it reach her eyes, "You, huh?"

Okay, he was getting a _little too_ close, now.

"You're cute, in your own way," he mused, unimpressed, as he looked her up and down again, as if she were a blotch of black paint in his perfect little pixie colored world, "but you look kind of stupid.. Like a punk.."

 _Wait.. Did he just..? Well punk is pretty accurate, but stupid-?!_

"What?" she snapped, her voice low as she felt Juli hissing at their feet.

"Or rather, he continued, smiling ever so slightly as he got a reaction out of her, "I bet you're an idiot.." "I.." she struggled to find a curse word suitable for this.. _This personality repo_ , her eyes narrowed and her eyebrows puckered in disdain as he cut her off again.

"You're not going to deny it?" he scoffed, "Then you really _are_ an idiot.." He spun on his heel to leave, and it felt as if the gates of hell had opened in her mouth, her tongue burning as she grit her teeth, and took a step forward towards him, fists clenched at her side. He waved back half heartedly, and that was when she felt the gates snap in the strain.

"Nice to meet you, stupid Onee-chan.."

"Why the _hell_ should I explain _my_ intelligence to an _egomaniac popstar wannabe_ like _you_?"

He paused with one foot on the stairs, his whole body turning to look back at her after a full four seconds of silence, his eyebrows raised high in shock. She held her ground, folding her arms across her chest and shifting her weight to her hip, eyes staring defiantly back into his. He blinked away his surprise, before he scoffed, shaking his head as he turned back to leave, his small, pleased smirk hidden from view as he left for his room.

* * *

"What an _ass_ -!" she snapped, punching her pillow irritably. She had migrated to her room, having unpacked ninety percent of it in an effort to forget his sarcastic little smile, only to remember it after her mind had been effectively cleared, and she was sent into another irritable bout of unpacking and folding to perfection, "The _nerve_ -!"

"What was up with him?" Juli paced around the rug, following the design with his paws. "He's completely twisted!" He sat down in a huff as his human owner sighed, flopping back onto her bed with a groan of disdain. "Yeah.." she agreed softly, before groaning louder, "but.." she grimaced as she said it, but she knew it was true. "I'm pretty sure he was surprised, too.. What if he just suddenly wound up in our house while we were passed out..?" she met the squirrel's eyes knowingly, "My bet is that you'd have mauled his face for being an intruder.. He was doing the same.." Her tone turned dark as she huffed, "Just in a more _verbal_ and _demeaning_ , way.."

"It's not as if that's _your_ fault, Chii," the squirrel stuck his nose in the air, turning to fold his stubby arms over his chest in annoyance. She sighed, catching his attention as he hopped up next to her, studying her face as she stared at the ceiling. "But still," she huffed, running a hand beneath her hood to touch her hair, "I want to stay out of the way as much as possible, for them.."

She left to help Ukyo with the dinner as he came home, grabbing a bright red apron with a black rose design stitched into the hip. She met him at the bottom of the stairwell, her tone bright, and airy, "Welcome home, Ukyo-san," she smiled. He jerked a little at that, eyes wide with surprise as he turned to look at her blankly, blinking his eyes as if he pushed away an errant thought.

"Is everything alright?" she intoned gently, eyebrows furrowing as she stepped forward to reach his forehead, though she had to lean up a bit, "Are you feeling well..?"

"Oh," he snapped out of it with a start, giving her a slight smile as she pulled back for a comfortable foot and a half distance. "No, pardon me.." he turned back to his plastic grocery bags of food quietly, "It has been a long time since anyone has said, 'welcome home' to me," he offered calmly, smiling as he fixed his glasses back up his nose, "It was nice to hear.." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and she couldn't help the tiny smile on her mouth. "Well then," she stood up straighter, much to his surprise, and put her fists on her hips, looking up at him expectantly, "I suppose you'll be hearing it a lot more often, now.." she winked as she moved to check the bags for fridge-products, "So prepare yourself.."

"Oh," he shook his head as he began looking through the bags as well, all the while keeping a drifting eye back to her, "Have you met Futo, yet?" "Y-.. yeah," she shrugged, moving to place the milk on the designated shelf calmly, "Just a while earlier, actually.." "I see," he nodded, bending over to get his apron out of the drawer, "He will probably be unable to attend tomorrow, due to work.." he paused to fit the fabric over his head, tying the knot behind his back with practiced ease, "so I told him to find at least a little time to come home today.."

"Oh?" she murmured, moving to place the empty plastic bags into an open one, "What's tomorrow?"

"Huh," he paused again, this time in embarrassment, "I am so sorry. I had not told you about it yet, have I?" He began to place the groceries away, talking all the while, "The truth is, I am planning to have a birthday party for Subaru." "Ooh," she perked up at that, though she knew it was soon, hearing that it was seriously soon made her get a giddy buzz, "A birthday party?" "Well," he smiled, "We do not ordinarily go to such lengths, but Subaru is turning twenty this year, so it is special.."

"Oh-oo-oo-!" she waved her hand around in the air excitedly, as if begging for a teacher to call on her for the answer, "Can I help? Can I? Please?" For added effect, she gave him her level two puppydog eyes, which, on the scale of one to ten, weren't half bad. "I can do anything you need me to do, promise-!" She even stuck out her pinky in excitement, almost bouncing in place. He seemed taken aback by her enthusiasm, but, then again, she'd yet to find a person who wasn't at one point or another..

"Hmm," he turned to her with a subtle smile, "In that case.."

* * *

She'd rushed to the store at first opportunity the next day, the blueprint she wanted for the cake design was on her desk, and the paper of recipe ingredients was in her pocket. She'd spent a good portion of the night planning the cakes, and the beginning of the morning at the markets, hefting the bags into her arms with a little assistance from the bagging boy. She'd made it nearly half way before she'd had to stop, chastising herself for not bringing or buying a bottle of water. She kneeled at the curb with a sigh, listening as Juli chattered from beneath the hood covering her hair, "Chii.. Are you okay..?"

She let out a soft breath at that, laughing softly as she shook her head, "I'm fine, Juli.. don't worry.. It's just.." "I told you to get a water bottle for the walk," Juli tut disapprovingly. Natasha rolled her eyes, "Uh-huh, thank-you _mother_.." She let out another, long sigh, breathing in the busy air of the Akimichi district. With a groan, she put her head in her hands, her tone turning playful as her thoughts strolled to the birthday boy. "How much you wanna bet Subaru would have no problem carrying all of this..?" Juli grumbled, but agreed, "Well," he admit haughtily, "The one thing he looks like he's got is physical strength.." "If I had half that guy's stamina I'd be a killer athlete," she sighed happily, giggling softly as she rolled her eyes, "The fact that he does roadwork and practices with his team every day is astounding.. Does he ever take a day off?"

"She'd notice that?"

Her ears perked up at the nearby voice, and she leaned her back to sit straight, craning her neck to look behind her, only to see an empty street. "Uhh.. _Okay_..So.. I'm going.. crazy..?" she murmured, shaking her head as she resisted the urge to round the corner she suspected he was hiding behind and jump scare the poor lad. With a sigh, she gathered the bags back into her arms, blowing sharply at Juli's tail, that had flicked out to tickle her nose, "Alright, Squirrelly-pants.. Let's get these to the house and knock the socks of Subaru, ne, Juli?" "Onward, Chii-!" he cheered, laughing with her as she continued at a brisk walk. _He knew how much she liked to bake_.

* * *

It was nearly ten a.m. by the time she'd gotten to the house, and she'd gotten into the elevator. She hesitated as she tried to recall what happened next, almost dropping her bags in shock as the elevator door opened and she saw a pair of skinny, magenta-clad legs and bright baby blue socks. She set the bags down quickly before she rushed for the sprawled body on the stairs, Juli hopping off of her shoulder and following behind. "Louis-!" she called, sliding the last few feet on her knees to stop next to him, a hand on his back, before she pressed her ear to his back quickly, Juli hopping up to sit near her head, "Is he sick or something?"

"His heartbeat's fine," she leaned back on her haunches, hesitating before she pat at his shoulders, "Louis-sa- _AH_?!" he fell back in surprise when his eyes popped open, holding a hand to her chest in relief as she shook her head, "Dear god.. Louis," she frowned, "What's going on? Are you hurt?" He quickly moved to sit up, mimicking her position and leaning closer to be eye level with her. "Chii," he spoke softly, and she felt her own voice shrinking in response to his soft-natured attitude. "W-.. What is it..?"

"Strange," Juli murmured, "Truly strange.."

"N-No, seriously," she shook her head to clear it, leaning forward to press her palm to Louis forehead, "Are you alright? You were sprawled out on the steps like a rug.."

"Yeah," he murmured, letting her check his temperature until she was satisfied. "My plan was.. To sleep on the sofa.. But I didn't make it.." "No kidding," she murmured, a relieved smile touching her lips as she pulled back her hand, pressing it on the ground for support as she heaved a sigh, "So," she smiled gently, "Are you done with work?"

"No," he pouted slightly as he blinked gently, and she had the fleeting image of a tired kitten.. _Oh god_.. "Do you mind.. If I rearrange.. Your hairstyle..?" he asked gently, tentative. Her face lit up brightly in an instant, and she resisted the urge to smother him in a hug, "A-Are you sure?!" she grinned, his tiny smile spurring her on, "Because I already promised that you could- and that would be totally awesome if someone else did it because frankly I'm hopeless with stuff like hair and makeup, since I never really bothered to learn.." She shut her mouth with a blush as she caught her rambling, "Thank you.."

He smiled, "Today is.. Subaru's birthday. There's the party, so.. I wanted to.. Make you look cute.." "This guy came back just for that?" Juli sounded miffed and confused.

"Thank-you, Louis," she repeated, moving to stand and help him up as well, his baby soft hands holding hers gently as he inspected her hair, but before he could get too into it, she smiled apologetically, "I have to make Subaru's cake with these ingredients, is it alright if I work on the batter while you get set up? It's going to have to take time to bake, anyway, so.."

He smiled, tilting his head, "Would you like some help.. Chii?" "Really?" she sounded surprised, but grinned none-the-less, "Thank-you-!"

* * *

 ***clears throat***

 ***looks around***

 **Natasha: *glaring from her actress-seat***

 **Eh-heh.. heh...**

 **Natasha: *glares harder***

 **TT~TT Will you please just do the disclaimer..?**

 **Natasha: *turns up her nose* Hmph**

 **Wataru: *pops out of the prop bin* Violet Onee-chan does not own Brothers Conflict-!**

 **I do, however, own my original characters and original ideas. Any use or request to use must go through me directly.**

 **Wataru: *hugs Violet's waist* Rate and Review please~!**


	5. Chapter 2: part 2

"Thank-you, Louis," she repeated, moving to stand and help him up as well, his baby soft hands holding hers gently as he inspected her hair, but before he could get too into it, she smiled apologetically, "I have to make Subaru's cake with these ingredients, is it alright if I work on the batter while you get set up? It's going to have to take time to bake, anyway, so.."

He smiled, tilting his head, "Would you like some help.. Chii?" "Really?" she sounded surprised, but grinned none-the-less, "Thank-you-!"

Louis took half of the bags and she grabbed the rest, though she had nearly bolted down the stairs in a mad dash so she could slide into the kitchen. She had her hands washed thoroughly, an apron over her clothes, sleeves rolled up, and haired tied back, all in the time it took for Louis to walk into the kitchen. By the time he'd gotten all of the ingredients sorted out as she had asked, she was already cracking eggs into a silver mixing bowl and whipping it with a vigor.

It took only twenty minutes to get the batter poured into the three circular cake tins and four sheet ones, then placed inside of the oven. While she did this, Louis was stirring the rice crispy marshmallow treats together. She placed the now perfectly circular ball of rice crispy marshmallow treat onto a plate and placed it in the freezer, dusting her hands on her apron before she began the mad dash to clean the kitchen. While she speed washed and dried, Louis put the things away, laughing softly every once in awhile, or pulling back an errant lock of white that would fall from her bun and cloud her vision. She gave him a big, thankful hug when the kitchen was restored to it's former glory, and she accepted his offered hand as he lead her into the living room, setting her onto a bar stool as he moved to unclasp her hair from the black scrunchie. She was still wearing her apron, and was dusted in flour and various other edibles, but she was relaxed, so screw it.

He took a few minutes just to run his fingers through the soft strands of her snowy locks, undoing all of the minuscule knots and giving her a beautiful scalp massage in the process. Natasha bit back soft moans of pleasure as she relaxed into his touch. He began taking small bits of hair and braiding them, tying them with tiny grey rubber bands at the ends. He littered her hair with many of the tiny braids, leaving the majority of it in its natural choppy fashion, before he started to straighten one lock at a time. He'd run the soft brush through it every so often so it would sit naturally, and she sighed softly in happiness. It felt like only minutes before he declared, "I'm done."

She fluttered her relaxed eyes open to see a large mirror in his hands, reflecting her image back to her. She felt her eyes widen as she tentatively touched the woven braids that had been twisted together to make an intricate silver colored flower just an inch or so behind her ear. She didn't even want to move her head, afraid it would break the image. "Wow.." she whispered.

"Is this.. All right..?" he asked hesitantly. Her arms were around him in the next second, mindful of her hair as she nuzzled her face into his chest. He waited only a second before returning the hug, hearing her muffled squeal as she hugged tighter, once, then pulled back to beam at him, "It's not alright Louis-" at his brief disappointed look, she nearly exploded, "-It's _way_ better than that-! It's absolutely amazing-! You're a wizard-!" she pointed a finger at him accusingly, face in mock suspicion, and her tone teasing, "I call foul play-! Use of magic-!" He laughed at that, smiling as he pet her bangs gently, "Thank you.. Chii-chan.." he helped her back onto the seat, much to her confusion, and bent to retrieve a smaller flattener. "Now.. time for the finish.."

He clicked at it for a moment, before he frowned, and Natasha tilted her head, "Everything alright?" "It's broken.." he murmured, before holding it up for inspection, and giving her a slight nod, "Sorry.. I'll go get another one.." Natasha smiled a bit at his persistence, "Louis-san.. This is already more than enough.." "Let me see this.. Through to the end," he replied, moving to go upstairs in a pace just slightly faster than his usual float. She sat patiently in her seat with a deep breath, letting it out softly as she relaxed. Juli was lounging on the couch behind her, "He must want to do a complete job, being the pro that he is.." " _Wow_ , Juli," she turned her head slightly with a grin, "Was that _almost_ a compliment..?" she teased softly.

Running footsteps were heard above her, and she glanced up just to see Futo crash against the guardrail, his eyes raking the room intently before they settled on her. "Huh?" he sounded exasperated, "Where's Louis-nii?"

"Oh," she sighed, relaxing at his tolerable tone. She already swore to herself not to start anything, so if he could be civil, so would she. She offered him a polite smile as she answered, "He should be back in a few minutes.." he pulled one arm back from the rail to rest at his hip with a groan of frustration, throwing his head back in annoyance, "Sheesh-! What the hell?! I asked the salon and they said he went home-!" He checked his watch irritably, and she sighed, trying to distract him into a conversation, so he didn't blow up when Louis got back, _no_ one was going to so much as _look_ at that adorable little sheep in a negative way, so help her, god..

"Are you in a hurry?" she asked gently, keeping her head still in case Louis had supervision to see if she messed with it. Futo looked from his watch and turned to glare at her, his tone flat. "Why should I tell stuff like that to you, an outsider?" She felt a bit of her patience chip away, and she huffed, glaring at him irritably, "Well _forgive me_ , Your Royal Pain-In-The-Ass," she snapped, and he glanced down at her, curiously, eyes wide as his palms gripped the guardrail, leaning forward as if to get a better look. "Heh.. You.. changed your hairstyle, huh?"

Her face stilled of expression as his tone turned sweeter, and she resisted the urge to throw a shoe at him.. Or a couch…..

"Sorry," he said gently, his face still filled with wonder, "I didn't realize it until now.. That.. you were such a beautiful person, Oneesan.." Her face was carefully blank at his look, his eyes going lidded as he looked down on her, tone turning lower, as well, "Oneesan?" "What is it, Futo?" she asked curiously, batting her eyelashes as if in embarrassment, her cheeks burning in annoyance, rather than what she assumed his guess was flattery. "Do you mind if I forget about it," he murmured gently, and had she not been pre informed of his twisted mind, she may have considered taking his tone to be even an eighth truthful, "just for now..?" His eyes and face looked pleading as she put on her best 'concerned girl with a crush look'. "That you and I.. are siblings..?"

He didn't even have the opportunity to change his expression into a sadistic smirk before she had fallen off of the chair, howling in laughter and beating the floor. He looked downright startled, to say the least, and she was shuddering, holding her sides in pain. "OHMYGOD-!" she roared, breaking down in tears as she struggled to sit up, his eyes burning confused and annoyed holes into her head, "OH MY GOD!" She shook her head to clear it as she broke down in fits of giggles, shakily getting to her feet so she could crane her neck back to give him a mocking smile, "You're acting isn't too shabby, kid.." she complimented in a purr, winking before she burst out laughing again, "BUT OHMYGOD _HAHAHAH_ -!" she shook with mirth, "You actually thought I believed you for a single second?! What planet do you live on? World of the Arrogant?! I'M DYING-!" she cackled, gripping onto her chair as she shivered in her glee, "Holy… holy shit.. O-Only Tsubaki has done that to me.. And now you.." she giggled again as she relaxed into the chair, sending his irritated expression a sweet smile, "I'm starting to really like it here.. If you can all make me laugh like that.."

A phone went off above her, and she watched as he ground his teeth, before flipping it out, and answered the call in short, irritated sentences.

He'd ended it in nearly ten seconds, before he scoffed, sliding it back in his pocket, "Man," he muttered, "Talk about bad luck that Louis-nii isn't here.." He glanced down at her one last time, a small, dark smile touching his lips as the sarcasm flooded his tone and he turned to leave with a wave, "See you around, oh-pretty-oneesan.." "See ya' later, lord of the twits," she called back in equal tone, and she heard a pause, before soft laughter, and the elevator closing.

"Jackass," she muttered.

Louis came down about two minutes later with a small iron, apologizing for the wait before he finished the tips of her hair, before stepping back to admire it. "Finished.."

She'd hugged him tightly, before moving to help him clean up his things, only peering up when the timer on the oven went off, and she excused herself to check the cakes.

While she had filled seven tins with cake batter, it had been three circular ones for one smaller circular cake, as well as a larger four layered sheet cake. She'd washed and dried her hands before setting out to make the frosting, letting the cake pieces cool after she'd cut off the excess and set them out accordingly. Louis had offered to help again, but she was adamant on finishing it, so he merely sat at the nook's stools to observe her. She'd whipped frosting, and rolled out several pieces of fondant, before she actually began putting the cake together.

The end product cake after two and a half painstaking hours of decorating and precise knife indenting.

The smaller, circular cake was resembled to look like a basketball hoop, with wavy white fondant along the edges to resemble the net. She's rolled the rice crispy ball into an orange fondant and rolled it over a textured mat to resemble grooves, piping black icing lines and even a Meiji University Logo on the basketball as she placed it atop the "Net Cake". Pressing the smaller one aside gently, she took in the larger sheet cake, sighing in content. It was originally a buttercream frosting, but with the assistance of chocolate glaze, fondant, and a knife, she'd turned the top of the cake into a basketball court floor, complete with boundary lines, and even a palm-sized pair of rice-crispy basketball sneakers with leftover treat. She'd made grooves into the tan-brown, wood-appearance 'floor' to look like slim wooden panels, and even had a chocolate bar scoreboard at the top center court, with the words Asahina-Subaru 2-0 in delicate scoreboard lettering.

When she'd finished, painting little basketballs along the white frosting sides of the cake with watercolor cake paints, she glanced up to Louis, his eyes taking in the creations with nothing short of awe. "Very.. Detailed," he smiled at her, and her ego may have boosted up a few notches, before deflating slightly, "Do you think Subaru will like them?"

"Absolutely.." he murmured, fixing an errant lock of hair behind her ear. She cleaned up the rest of the kitchen a final time, putting the last of the bowls away as Ukyo walked in, looking slightly tired, but determined. He'd taken three steps into the kitchen before he sniffed the air, careening off course to inspect the cakes. He raised his eyebrows slightly, looking back to see the shorter female closing a cabinet and drying her hands. "Did you pick these up at the store?" he sounded unsure, but at her mirthful cuckle, he blinked in astonishment.

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an indirect insult," she scoffed, nudging him with her elbow as she grinned, "Louis helped me."

"I did very little," the sleepy-looking male denied, and Ukyo looked back at her expectantly. She shrank a little under the gaze, blinking in shock when he'd smiled, hesitating, before lifting a hand to pat her head, "Well done.. They look amazing.."

Her face could not have been more pink in embarrassment. "T-Thank you.."

She's bolted at the first opportunity to change for the party, settling on a nicer purple turtleneck sweater, and a tight black vest. She wore a pair of black rose patterned, semi-see through tights, and a silver necklace with a star on it hung from around her neck. She'd had quite the time getting ready while preserving her hair, but she pulled through, Juli giving her encouraging words and helping her check over it for perfection before she moved to go downstairs, grabbing the camera on her desk as she went, as well as sliding her hands into her lacy black fingerless gloves.

It was another two hours before everyone was home and together in the dining area, Subaru chilling on the sofa while Natasha wandered around the bathroom in an effort to calm her nerves. She had a present to give to Subaru.. But _when_ would be an appropriate time..? Not to mention _how_? Or if he would even like it..?

"Wow~!" she heard Wataru's squeals as she padded into the kitchen, sticking to the wall as the others crowded around the cake. "The cake is huge~!" "There's even a mini-cake for Suba-chan," Tsubaki grinned. Natasha giggled softly as she stepped forward, peaking between Kaname and Yusuke to see his expression, though the others were watching the counter, and didn't seem to hear her come in. "It looks delicious-!" Tsubaki cheered. Kaname smiled, "That's incredible, Imouto-chan.."

"It was made beautifully," Ukyo commented. "It almost looks too good to eat," Iori agreed.

"Thank you, very much," she chuckled awkwardly, and they snapped their eyes to her in surprise, then smiled. "Its awesome-!" Wataru cheered, "It's really, really awesome-!"

Natasha inwardly squealed, hugging herself on the outside as she blushed. That kid was seriously pushing her ego up.. "Wataru," Masaomi spoke, getting down eye level with the youngest, who turned to him obediently, "Onee-chan made this for Subaru, so you shouldn't be more excited about it than him.. Understand..?" "I see.." the salmon haired boy murmured, before jogging toward Subaru, standing in front of him and bowing in apology, "I'm sorry, Subarun."

Subaru smiled, ruffling his hair gently.

Natasha sighed happily, her teeth nearly glowing, "Having siblings is so wonderful.."

"Uh?" Subaru glanced up at her, before turning away, his cheeks ever so slightly dusted pink. She sighed softly, but turned her attention to Yusuke, as he directed his question at her.

"You.. made this all by yourself, right?" Yusuke murmured, and she opened her mouth to speak, but Louis beat her to the punch, "Don't start.. I only.. handed you things.. Chii-chan.. You did the work.." She flushed under his knowing gaze, and she glanced away in embarrassment. "It wasn't that big of a deal.. I like to bake.." "You made it for Suba-nii," he repeated slowly, glancing at the cake with an intensity that could have melted it. "I.. can't eat it." "What?" she blinked, watching in a stupefied way, "Why not? Do you not like cake..?" she frowned, "I have rice cereal treats with frosting basketballs in the fridge.." "No," he assured her, "It's not like that, but.. You made the effort to make it.. And I'd feel bad about not eating it, and I want to eat it, but.. But somehow.. I can't.."

"Oh really?" Tsubaki stepped forward, closer to Natasha with a bright grin, "So you're not going to have any, Yusuke?" he nudged Yusuke with his shoulder playfully, "Then I'll eat your share, too.." "What?" Yusuke spluttered. "After all," Tsubaki leaned even closer, and she had to lean ever so slightly back to regain her personal space, "It's a cake full of your love, right? I feel like I could eat every crumb I get my hands on.." "H-Hey-!" Yusuke snapped, "Tsuba-nii-?!"

"Oh, I know," Tsubaki purred happily, now just a few inches from her chest as he stared into her eyes, her own golden ones wide in curiosity and surprise, as he continued, "I think it would make me super happy if you'd feed it to me.." He grinned at her flushed face, grasping her hands between the both of his, "Come on, do it! Do it!" "Ts-Tsubaki-nii-san," she murmured, shifting her weight on her feet as she mourned the loss of her personal space, "I don't really.."

"Or," his tone went lower as he tilted his head closer, as if sharing a secret, "would you rather I fed you instead..?" he picked up one of the strawberries she had set out in an elegant fruit tray display, lifting it up to hold it to her lips gently, "I'd be fine with that, too.. Here," he smiled, "Say Ah~!" She reflexively caught the fruit in her mouth with a nip of her teeth, though he was pulled away a millisecond later, spinning on his heel until he was at Azuza's side, facing him like a reprimanded child.

"Okay now," Azuza sighed, "That's enough of that, Tsubaki.." "Yes sir~!" he sang sarcastically. Natasha blinked at her suddenly light shoulder, glancing around at everyone's ankles when she failed to see Juli. Tsubaki glanced back into the livingroom, where Subaru was continuing to brood silently in his mind. "But it looks like the key person in question is not in a state to enjoy it.."

"What?" Subaru looked over in surprise, "Oh, no.." he lowered his head again, relaxing once more. "Subaru..?" Natasha called, concern leaking into her tone. "Don't worry," Kaname assured her sweetly, "It's not like he's sick or anything.." then, his tone turned teasing, "Or no, maybe it is an illness." "He's sick?" she frowned, concern doubling in point two seconds. "The kind even a doctor can't cure, you know?" he murmured, their eyes locking, "Well I'm suffering from the same illness, though… If possible, I'd like to have this illness, forever.." His arm wrapped around her shoulder gently, his hand to her shoulder gently pulling her to lean against his chest. She internally screamed at the absolute obliteration of a personal bubble, but remained quiet.. She'd take her anger out on Futo next time he fucked with her..

"You're embarrassing her, Kaname-nii-san," she felt the hand pulled up quickly, and glanced back and up to see Iori, her hero, helping her escape. Kaname backed down without a fight, smiling at her gently, "Sorry about that, Imouto-chan.." "N-Not at all," she waved it off casually, cursing the blood rushing to her face. "Do you mind if I ask you something?" Iori brought her mind to the present, and she gave him an encouraging smile, "Sure thing.." "Aah," he tilted his head slightly, eyebrows furrowed, "Why did you change your hairstyle today?" "Oh," she perked up immediately, her eyes nearly sparkling as her hands brushed over the masterpiece delicately, "Louis did this for me-! He wanted to make it look nice for the party, and I couldn't say no. I never dress up or do my hair and makeup, so when there's a reason to, it's nice to have such a wonderful stylist for it.." "I see," he nodded slightly, smiling gently, "It looks good on you.." "Thank you, very much," she grinned, running her fingers along the back of her neck gently.

A few minutes later they were all seated at the table, Subaru's birthday candles being the only source of light. The larger cake was placed in front of him, but she'd warned them earlier that the smaller cake was strawberry rum, and would be best for later. She had her camera out and raised expectantly, Juli at her elbow as she focused the lense in place. Ukyo was the first to break the awkward silence, "Then let us have Subaru blow out the candles." "Y-You're sure about this?" he sounded unsure, and wholly embarrassed. "Yes," Ukyo stated in a no-nonsense, business-room tone.

"I'm on picture-duty," Natasha chimed, trying to calm him.

Subaru sighed softly, before taking a big gulp of air and blowing. He got all of them out in one go. There was applause, and cheers of Happy Birthday, before everyone moved to get plates and forks.

Natasha was seated at the table with a piece of cake in front of her, although she was too busy snapping candids of the boys to notice it. "It's delicious-!" Wataru sang brightly, "Onee-chan's cake is number one in the whole world~!" "Taru-chan.." Natasha sniffed, wiping a tear from her eye, as she sniffled, "You're making my ego get too big.."

"Yeah," Tsubaki chimed, "It's the best!" he turned to Yusuke, who was on his left, "Are you sure, Yusuke? If you're not going to eat it, I really will.." "I'll eat it-!" the redhead snapped, dipping his fork down and bringing up a piece. He chewed on it for a few moments, before he swallowed, his face pouting slightly, "It's good-!"

Laughter spread around the table, and Natasha sighed with relief, "Thank god.. If you didn't like it, I'd have to think outside the box for your birthday.." He glanced up in surprise at that, his eyes blinking slowly, "My.. birthday..?" "Well yeah," she grinned, "Unless someone else gets put on cake duty, I'm happy to bake for everyone's birthday.."

She snapped a quick shot of Yusuke blushing, before she continued around the room, pausing before she took a shot of Subaru, "Does it taste alright? Vanilla and buttercream is basic, so I tried adding cinnamon to the batter.." "It's good," he replied calmly, looking down to his plate at the half eaten floor and sneaker, "T-Thanks a bunch.." She smiled as she snapped a picture, glancing down to check over the progress. "Isn't that great, Imouto-chan?" Kaname smiled from her left, and she looked back with a smile of her own, "Mhmm.."

* * *

 **I do not own Brothers Conflict, only my OCs and original products/ideas. Use of either must be gone through with me.**

 **Taru-chan: Rate and Review please~!**


	6. Chapter 2: part 3

She was forbidden to do the dishes, by Ukyo, instead being left to relax in the living room with the others as they flipped through the channels of the television, and Subaru was given his first few legal tastes of alcohol. She'd politely declined Tsubaki's teasing offer to drink from his own green bottle, the majority of the older males drinking something hard, minus Masaomi, who had left to put Wataru to bed.

She giggled slightly as they began playing several drinking games on the coffee table, getting up to hover behind the couch to trace the piano. If she wanted to give him that gift, now was the time, while he was buzzed and relaxed. She lifted the lid and set up the prod, turning to sit at the bench as she smoothed out her vest. Straightening her back, she looked over the keys briefly, before glancing back to face the boys. She watched as a cup of beer came around with another round of cheers. She took a deep breath in, and closed her eyes, her fingers going to their practiced place as she counted to ten, and began.

She started to play 'One Summer's Day' softly, breathing slowly as she glided her fingers from one key to the next, hair pulled away from her eyes and her expression peaceful.

Tsubaki had just brought the beer to his lips before he heard the music behind them, the laughter slowly dying out as one by one, they shifted in their seats to face the piano. Natasha had her back to them, her hair pulled over to one shoulder as her fingers danced along the keys. She played the soft song gently, for nearly four minutes, before she stopped, releasing a heavy breath before she felt the eyes on her head. She twitched her hand above the C5, swallowing back an awkward laugh. Steeling her resolve, she sat up straighter, the burning in her back fading away as she began to play another song, this one resembling a more complicated verse of 'Happy Birthday'.

She heard soft applause as the last note faded, and her shoulders curled in as she braced herself to look back, giving the starting males an awkward smile. "Eheheh.. Sorry.."

"Do you know any others?" Ukyo was the first to break the silence, and she gave him a surprised look, before turning to Subaru, "Is.. that alright..?"

"Go ahead," he muttered, tossing back a shot of a dull brown liquid with ease.. Before giving a slight couch at the burn. She giggled soft, shaking her head before she turned back to the keys, closing her eyes as she bit her lip, "1000%" she murmured, before she grinned, her fingers flying to the keys as she bowed her head, her shoulders falling and rising as she listen to the surprised murmuring behind her, although her mind was clouded in black.. Black fog.. Warmth.. Her hands were moving of their own accord as they flew across the keys, her grin bright and smooth as she nearly bounced in her seat. The rapid beat accompanied at her soft song, voice low as not to be heard over the loud keys.

She was too caught up the song to hear the pattering of feet behind her, or the creak of the wood as Tsubaki peared over her shoulder, watching as her fingers brushed around each and every scale like glass. "Ooh," he grinned, watching as she moved her mouth along with the words, her head bouncing to the beat. "Imouto-chan plays very well-!" The song ended abruptly and she snapped her eyes to him, Tsubaki's violet orbs widening at her glazed expression before she shook her head to clear it, giving him a surprised, "When did.. you get there..?" "Were you in the zone, Imouto-chan?" Tsubaki teased, leaning closer to wrap her in a hug, "No sheet music, either~!"

"M-" she muttered, face flaring in surprise, "Memory-!" He chuckled brightly, only to flail back as his collar was pulled by Azuza, giving her a slight smile, "He can't really hold his alcohol, sorry, imouto-chan.." "No problem.." she smiled, leaning over the keys before she tilted her head, "You.. might know this one..?" She gave Tsubaki a grin, "How about a duet, ne? I need a vocalist..?" he perked up from Azuza's hold and leaned over the bench, wrapping her in another hug, "Imouto-chan wants to play with me~!" "Aah," she wriggled out of his hold, before placing her hands on the keys, "Try listening.. Then jump in.. It's a pretty popular song.." she was lying out of her ass about knowing the trends, but her smile stayed firm as she let the haze settle in her mind, Tsubaki's touch fading from her senses as she started to play 'Beloved X Survival'...

Tsubaki grinned as she started to play, taking a deep breath before he started to sing, her steady rhythm harmonizing with his voice as he leaned next to the instrument, waving his arms with the octave changes and swinging them at the low dips, putting a lot of passion into the song.

When it had ended, there was another round of applause, and she stood to give a slight bow to the others. Tsubaki wrapped an arm around her waist, bowing dramatically with her as the others laughed. "Where did you learn to play the piano?" Masaomi had returned after the birthday song, and was watching her curiously in wait for an answer. She giggled slightly, suddenly nervous as she tucked her head down, "I can't say it was in this life, actually.. Its.." she trailed off awkwardly, running the toe of her slipper on the floor with a slight giggle, "Just.. ingrained, I guess..?"

"That's incredible," Iori murmured, moving to peer over her piano, "Do you play by ear?" "Yep," she grinned, rubbing her neck as she tilted her head, "I know a lot of other songs, but they're a lot slower, or.." she cut herself off blankly, before giving an awkward laugh, "Well.. you'll probably not like a select few.. They're covers of fan songs.. Intense horror games and things like that."

"You play elegantly," Ukyo smiled, "Do you play any other instruments.."

"A few.." she turned her face away slightly, trying to focus on the triangle patterns of the windows. "Like what?" Yusuke asked curiously, leaning forward from his seat in the livingroom. She pinched her lips together before she breathed in, frowning as she started to tick off her fingers in a counting manner, "Uhh" she blushed brightly as she rubbed her arm, not really up for listing it, but not confident to get away with lying, either, "Well.. Lets see.. Acoustic and electric guitar.. Bass.. drums.. Five varieties of drums, actually.." she furrowed her brow as she tilted her head, ignoring their curious stares, "There's violin, cello, flute, piccolo.. Oboe, trumpet, trombone and.." she frowned as she closed her eyes, "I don't even know if these count, but recorder, harmonica, bagpipes and spoons.."

"What?" Yusuke blinked owlishly, not expecting the lengthy answer as she folded her arms over her chest in embarrassment, "It's not that big of a deal, they're just little things I practice in free time every once in awhile.." "What other hobbies do you have..?" Iori asked casually, and she sat backwards on the piano bench beside Tsubaki as she massaged her fingers, "Well," she glanced up, crossing one leg over the other and fixing the lacy black tights around her knees, "I like to draw and paint.. Music, obviously.." she tilted her head, "But I'm practiced in traditional dances like ballet and japanese geisha dance.. but I'm a klutz in all other aspects in my life," she joked brightly, then ticked off a few more fingers, "Then there's sewing, cooking, flower arranging, gymnastics, martial arts; all that girly junk.."

She waved her hand dismissively, before shaking her head, "Listen to me, rambling like a banshee. Subaru," she called, much to his surprise as he turned to face her, "You like basketball, right? What else do you like to do..?" He flushed a little at her curious gaze, turning his eyes to his cup as he swirled the drink around, "Track, I guess," he muttered, flushing at her rapt attention, "Running.." A conversation quickly spun about their pastimes. Natasha quickly learned that Tsubaki and Azuza still liked manga and anime, promising to binge watch with her when possible. Masaomi liked to read in his spare time, and Ukyo tended to find different cookbooks to amuse his thoughts. Iori was prominent in taking care of the garden, and Yusuke said he fooled around with a guitar once in awhile. Kaname was often meditating, something she quickly asked to join in with in the future, much to his pleasant surprise, and Ukyo's twitching eye. Louis admit to not having much free time, but liked to simply relax when he could.

The conversation slowly returned to drinking games, but she finally announced that she needed sleep, turning on her heel to leave, but freezing in her tracks. She spun back around and walked up to Subaru in silence, holding out a light blue felt bag with a darker blue ribbon holding it closed.

No sooner did he grasp it did she step back with a smile, "Happy Birthday, Subaru-nii." she bowed quickly before moving to head up the stairs, catching Juli in her arms and helping onto her shoulder before she waved to the others, "Goodnight-!"

There was a chorused 'goodnight' from several brothers, and warm smiles, before she disappeared into her room, exhausted as she shucked off her slippers and collapsed onto her bed, face first. She sat up with a sigh as Juli began his nightly rant, smiling as she turned to grasp her camera, flicking through the pictures with a grin.

"This house is a bit too rowdy," Juli complained, sitting behind her as she relaxed. "Aah," she grinned, patting his head softly, "But it's still really fun.. Such a warm celebration.."

"For your birthdays," Juli watched her as her eyes clouded, staring off into space just above the camera, "Rintarou was was away overseas for work for most of them, after all.." "Mmm," she shrugged it off, thinking back to her previous life solemnly, "He sent letters and things.." Thinking that she should probably set her phone for an earlier alarm, she reached onto her sweater's pocket, pausing as she felt only satin. With a blink, she checked her other pocket, coming up empty before her eyes narrowed, and she groaned, "I left my phone downstairs, didn't I..?"

She rolled herself out of the bed with a sigh, getting on her slippers before she moved to pull her hoodie on, hood coming up to comfortably shield her hair as she zipped it part way, the sweater disappearing beneath the long black coat, leaving only her pale skin against the lacy black rose patterns of her tights and the bright tan of her slippers. She shoved her hands in her pockets as she moved to leave the room, sighing in exhaustion as she headed toward the guardrail.

"It's not like that-!" Subaru exclaimed, and she froze in her tracks, vague memories of events coming up as she bit back another groan. Great.. Might as well see where it went, then..

"Then what do you think of her, Subaru?" Tsubaki teased mercilessly, and she almost smiled, had the subject not been her. "What do I think," Subaru repeated, his voice low. She walked forward to hear better, leaning against the wall of the hallway and peering down gently, nearly hidden in the shadows, her pale face and neck the only indication of her presence. "What?" Tsubaki smiled, his arm around the ink-haired male, "You can't say?" He grinned in triumph as he sat back in his seat, arms folded proudly across his chest, "See? She is on your mind-!" "You're wrong," Subaru snapped, leaning forward slightly, fists poised on his knees.

"Then tell me why I'm wrong," Tsubaki demanded. Kaname merely smiled, awaiting an answer, in fact, most of the stragglers were smiling, minus Subaru, who looked ready to snap.. And snap, he did.. (Yoda moment XD)

"So like.." he stuttered, and it was like a dam had broken, "F-Frankly, she's a pain-!" The smiles on their faces instantly disappeared, everyone sitting in silence watching him as he continued to stare at his hands. "I-It's just been us guys for all this time, and suddenly, this girl comes along.." he grimaced, oblivious to the girl physically flinching in the shadows. She was briefly thankful she'd left Juli to guard her room. "Ever since she came here, I've had to be careful, even just taking a bath.. And I can't stay naked after my training routine.." He sighed, heavily, and stood to leave, "I'm going to wash my face.." She stayed in her place until he had started on the stairs, and she silently steps toward her room. Unfortunately, she did not take into account that his long legs skipped stairs, and she was just reaching the hall when his breath hitched behind her. She turned her face around silently, her face flushing in a mixture of things before she gave a slight bow, "My apologies.." she promptly spun on her heal after that, jogging to her room and slipping inside quickly.

Juli's concern centered on her immediately as she leaned against the door, her face carefully blank as she looked down to the squirrel and gave a practiced, warm smile, "I just guess I've been in the way.." she chuckled, though it sounded tired, and she moved to sit on the floor in front of her bed, turning onto her stomach as she traced the rugs pattern with the tips of her fingers. She gave Juli a brief recount of the conversation, and she could feel his ire growing with every second passing. When she was done, she chuckled, shaking her head, "Figures it would come out like that.. Even after I said I wanted to make it easier for them.."

"That bastard-!" Juli snapped, his paws in little fists as he scurried up to her face, "How dare he make you cry-?!" She flinched at that in surprise, lifting her hand to touch her cheek, though it was still dry, turning her confused look to him, "Juli?" she murmured, "I'm not crying.. And it's fine-"

"You're crying on the inside-!" he cut her off swiftly, and she frowned at him, "I can tell-! Because that's how you've always cried.." Well, she mused internally, moving to burrow her face in her arms as she huffed, it wasn't a lie… A doorbell chimed in the room, and she bolted upright in surprise, eyes wide as she held a hand to her heart, "Okay.." she muttered, rolling to her feet and slipping on her slippers as she trudged to the door, "Definitely changing the doorbell this week to something softer and less stabby.." She opened the door wide enough so she could look up, golden eyes meeting greyish brown ones as Subaru leaned his arm against the door frame, his cheeks flushed a light pink as he gazed down at her.

"I'm sorry.. I-I was wrong to say that.." he started quickly, not giving her the chance to open her mouth, "Please.. Just forget about it.. I-I just said those things in the heat of the moment.." She watched as he fidgeted on the spot, her weight shifting to her hip and she watched him in calm silence. Finally, when he had glanced down to the ground, she raised an eyebrow, releasing a sigh. His eyes snapped back to her as she grimaced, her eyebrows furrowed just beneath the line of the hood. "Are you done..?" she asked calmly, and at his surprised face, she let out another, sharp sigh, "Listen," she shook her head, her tone gentle and cool, "I already get why you said it.. It's nothing new.." he looked like he wanted to say something, but she raised her hand for silence, and he complied, "I was just taken aback by the.. Circumstances.. Of the exchange.. So don't worry about it, alright?" "S-Still-!" he argued, and she tilted her head back to look up at him, his expression now incredibly determined. With a huff, she shot him a bright smile, eyes pinching shut to avoid twitching, though she kept her voice soft, "I really am alright Subaru-!" she forced herself to give a little chuckle, "I'll just back off a little. So don't worry about it.."

"I'm sorry," he breathed, closing his eyes as he bent forward, "I'm really sor-" he cut off with a yelp as he stumbled forward, and it took every instinct in her body not to cross her arms in front of her and drop kick when he fell into her, then _onto_ her.. Her head hit the wooden floor with a bounce, and she winced, feeling a squirming sensation beneath her shoulder, and unable to lift her arm enough to free the rodent trapped there. He was sprawled out above her, her fingers digging into the wood as the voice behind her eyes hissed, ordering her to throw him off, _immediately_. She didn't listen. Fisting her now trembling hands, she heard him groan, lifting himself onto his hands above her, eyes glazed as they met hers, before they rolled back.

She felt the heat of his cheeks against her own as he slumped back down, her mouth trembling as his dead-to-the-world mouth brushed fully over hers. She held back a cry of surprise, hands shaking beside her as she resisted the urge to call for Arrow.. What a reaction _that_ would be..

"Hey-!" "What are you doing?!" she looked up silently as Tsubaki and Azuza crowded her doorway, taking in the scene with varying degrees of indignation. "Why you little.." Tsubaki pulled him out by the arm, allowing the girl to take a big gulp of air, before sighing in relief, bringing a hand to her cheek, knowing that covering her lips would be suspicious. "Hey," Tsubaki muttered, annoyed, "He's totally zonked out.." Juli wasn't six inches away from the K.O. raven, fur bristled to the max as he hissed and chattered.

"Must have had too much to drink," Azuza replied calmly. "Man, he's hopeless," Tsubaki sighed. She stood in the doorway to watch the scene unfold, blinking down blankly at the boy before watching the twin's backs and they turned to her. She held back to urge to squeak, but she was almost certain the 'oh-fuck' in her eyes was written with a big neon marker.

"Hey, listen," Azuza started gently, both boys looking at her with sad smiles. "Forget about what Subaru said," Tsubaki continued. "We all think of you as our precious imouto," Azuza said. Tsubaki finishing, "It was because I was teasing him that he said things that he didn't mean.. Really.."

"R..Right.." she nodded, unsure as she leaned against the doorframe, running her fingers through her now disheveled bangs. (Louis-nii-chan's hard work, nooo~! D:)

"But how did this end up happening?" Azuza asked, much softer this time. She vaguely remembered Sakamaki Shu, before shaking the thought aside, giving them both a weak frown, at Tsubaki's next words, "Did Subaru make a move on you?"

"No-!" She quickly flushed in indignation, before shaking her hood away, giving them a firm look, "No, he didn't, he tripped over the threshold and.." she lost the words on her tongue as she hunched her shoulders, moving her hands to pull the hood sharply back over her head. "Then?" Azuza tried to clarify, "It was an accident..?" "Yes," Natasha nodded firmly, sighing in relief, "He collapsed on top of me.." A wry, embarrassed smile touched her lips, "We hit the floor pretty hard.." "Well," Tsubaki looked toward the passed out male with determination, his smile hard, "just because it was an accident, he better not think that all will be forgiven.." "Go easy on him," Natasha spoke up as they bent to get him, moving to exit the room as well to find the kitchen, "He was, after all, drunk.." "No excuses," Tsubaki flashed her a grin, both boys slinging an arm over their shoulder before hefting him to his feet and starting to drag him away.

"Chii-!" Juli was at her ankles in an instant, looking up at her with anxious concern, "Are you okay?!" "I'm alright," she smiled, leaning down to pat his head before ushering him into her room, "I need to find an ice pack.. Do you think you could find my painkillers for me..?" she sent him a pouting, pleading look, and while he had reservations about leaving her alone, the puppy dog eyes (level eight) won him over, "Just hurry, Chii," he warned authoritatively, scurrying off to find her case of medicine.

* * *

She shut the door softly with a sigh of relief, turning to head down the stairs in silence as make a dash for the kitchen. She passed Kaname, who was lounging on the couch, sleeping. She paused mid step, sighing as she moved to get a blanket from behind the couch and drape it over him. He hummed in his sleep, a gentle smile on his face, and she smiled, turning to jog into the kitchen. She rooted through the fridge, almost crying when she failed to find an ice pack. She was about to go oldschool with a frozen steak or ice in a plastic baggie, until she felt a hand on her shoulder, scaring the living daylights out of her as she whirled around, catching the wrist in both hands and freezing in shock. Masaomi watched her, wide eyed as she blinked big, frightened does eyes at him, before releasing his wrist sharply, fumbling back until she had scrambled to the counter and turned, bowing apologetically, over and over. "Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry-!"

"Natasha," he started soothingly, his tone turning gentle as she glanced up at him with horrified, shameful eyes, "It's alright.. calm down.." "I'm so sorry," she repeated, bending at the waist and staying there, eyes stinging as she felt the anxiety clog her throat, "I didn't mean to.. I can't believe I just.." "It's alright," his voice was soft and comforting as he grasped her shoulders, helping her to stand upright. Her eyes remained downcast as she bit her lip, and he had to cup her face him his hands to lift it, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Easy," he murmured, wiping away the soft lines of tears that dripped from the corner of her eyes. She sniffed softly, her lip turning white as she bit down harder, and he frowned, his thumb swiping out to prod at it gently. She stopped almost instantly, the reddening flesh turning scarlet, before beading up into a drop of crimson. He tensed, eyes widening as he watched the blood flow down her lip. She saw the fear in his eyes, and shot her hand up to shield it from his eyes with one hand, licking her lip gently where, sure enough, copper stung her taste buds, the other hand reach up to partially cover his eyes, though they were too small. "Dear god-" she moaned softly, feeling his face burn beneath her hands as she whimpered, "Why am I screwing up so much today.. It's getting seriously pathetic.."

"Imouto," he murmured, his own hand lifting to cover hers, his eyes pinching shut, "Please calm down.." He looked a shade paler, but she figured he may need some type of rock as much as she did right now. With a gulp, sucked her lip into her mouth, hiding the cut before she buried her face in her upper arm, her hand still caught beneath his against his face. She kept her mouth hidden as she spoke, her voice muffled, but legible. "I hate the look and scent of blood, so I try not to hurt myself, but.." she swallowed as she felt him take a deep breath, lowering her hand and grasping her shoulders, his eyes trained on hers firmly.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently. She kept her hand in front of her mouth, relief showing in his eyes as she shrugged, "I slipped and smacked my head on the floor," she spoke quietly, looking away with a twinge of guilt for lying, "I think I bit my lip too hard.." "Do you need ice?" he asked softly, immediately in doctor mode as he brought his hands to her face, tilting her head to the sides gently and running his fingers along her skull until she hissed, feeling a bump just under the size of an egg before he nodded, "I'll get you some ice, do you have painkillers that work for you?" She was slightly surprised that he remembered, but nodded all the same, "Yeah.. in my room.."

"I'll bring up some ice and water," he turned her to face the stairs, "You go up and relax.." "Thank you," she called back, before moving to hurry up the stairs.

Juli was wavering when she'd gotten there, her herbal remedy painkillers sitting on her desk. After she'd thanked him, she explained Masaomi was coming up, the squirrel was instantly alert, immediately going into a speech about how she wasn't going to be molested two times in one day-or ever again- if he had anything to say about it..

Masaomi came sometime later and tended to the injury, sitting next to her on the bed as he applied a cleaning agent to it and dabbed it dry. She remained quiet until he had broken the silence, his tone soothing, as if he were tending a young child, "So," he murmured softly, "How did you really hurt yourself?"

She flinched at that, laughing beneath her hand as she turned her head away, only to have her chin brought back around. "Natasha," he warned softly, and she closed her eyes, checking her lip with her tongue once more before deeming it safe, and lowering her hand. "I tripped over Juli.." she murmured, hanging her head in mortification as she brought her knees to her chest. He paused at that, watching as a tear streaked down the side of her face before he put a hand to her arm, "And In the kitchen.. Why did you react that way..?" His voice was low, and patient, and she resisted the urge shudder at the gentle touch. With newfound resolve, she sniffed, straightening her spine as she gave him a hesitant look, "Its.. I just don't like to be snuck up on.." He nodded slightly, his eyes prodding her to continue, but when she didn't, he sighed, resigned, and pulled her into his lap. She squealed softly, her body locking up as his arms wound around her torso and her head tucked under his chin.

He rocked her gently in his arms until she relaxed, her heartbeat lessening from its constant thrumming to a relaxed tempo. His voice was gentle as he stroked her hair, mindful of the braided flower, "I don't mean to push.. I just want you to know that if you ever want to talk, my door is always open.." she tilted her head back to look at him, and he gave her a gentle smile, "We're family now.. You can trust us.." She didn't say anything, merely tucking her head against his chest with a sigh. She could hear Juli fuming nearby, but managed to drown him out with Masao-nii-chan's heartbeat.

After several minutes of this, she felt him shift his hand on the ice pack, resisting the urge to flinch as he leaned back, using his free hand to wipe away her tear tracks, though she was done crying. "Thank you," she whispered, and he paused, blinking softly at her as she leaned into his palm. Juli was almost nonexistent now as he sulked by the window, glaring at the two from his bed in guard-mode. Masaomi blinked again, and smiled, his lips thinning in thought before he sighed, brushing his lips across her forehead in a gentle caress, and held her firmly against his chest. "I'll stay until you sleep," he promised softly. She didn't even care that she had a sweater on under her hoodie, she was just exhausted.. And that's how she fell asleep. Curled up to Masaomi, her ear listening to his heartbeat's lullabye, her breathing slow as he rotated between her ice pack and the room's air, keeping his promise to stay, tucking her beneath her quilts, with a final brush across her forehead, before leaving.

* * *

 **Thought I should add a little Masao-nii fluff. ^^**

 **Natasha: *grumbling under her breath***

 **Oh hush you, you'll get chocolate later..**

 **Wataru-chan: Rate and Review please~! Onee-chan likes it best when you review~!**

 **Special shout-out to misa241098 for being a steady supporter of this book-! Wataru-chan-! The gift basket-!**

 **Wataru: *holds out expensive basket of chocolates* Arigato, Misa-chan~!**

 **I do not own Brothers Conflict, but I do own my OCs and original products/ideas. Use of which should go through me.**

 **Natasha: Catch ya' later-!**


	7. Chapter 2 (Final)

Natasha yawned as she reached the downstairs floor the next day, painkillers in her system and her hoodie over her uniform, hood pulled up tightly to hide her messy hair she had, sadly, undone from it's gorgeous style, pulling it back into a loose bun at the nape of her neck.

"Good morning," she greeted the twins as she reached ground floor, both boys giving a chorused greeting as well as they relaxed on the couch.

"Sorry about yesterday," Azuza smiled at her apologetically, holding out the purple flip phone to her, "Here. You'd forgotten your cell phone, remember..?" "Thank you, very much," she smiled groggily, checking to see if she had any messages, pleased that she had no new notifications. "Also," Tsubaki added, slyly, "we made sure to get revenge for you, so you can rest easy." She blinked at him blankly, too tired to be in the world of the living and not really understanding what he was saying to her, "What..?"

"It might've been a little harsh," Tsubaki grinned, "but he brought it on himself.." He turned to look at a pair of legs sticking out from behind the couch, and Natasha blinked again, rubbing her eyes as she shook her head, "Okay.. what did you do..?" "Yeah," Tsubaki nearly purred in his glee, "It's better if you didn't look.." "I agree," Azuza spoke calmly. "You're trying to get me to look," she accused them swiftly, smiling at Tsubaki's Cheshire grin. With a hesitant breath, she knelt onto the couch, grasping the back of it with her slim hands before she pulled herself up and over, jaw dropping a half second later and her soul leaving her body at the sight sprawled on the ground..

 _Holy shit.._

"We warned you~!" Tsubaki sing-songed. Natasha shuddered, silently reminding herself never to get on their bad sides as she sent them a shaky smile, standing with a sigh and rubbing at her eyes to dispel the scarring image. Alright.. Time to start the day...

"Good morning," a voice called and Natasha turned to see Ukyo in his apron. She smiled, "Good morning, Ukyo-san." She took note of the basket in his arms, and she tilted her head, "Do you need help with those?" "Yes," he smiled, gratefully, handing her the basket as she jogged over, "If it wouldn't be too much to ask, do you think you could hang these out to dry?" "Aye Cap'n," she grinned, saluting him with one arm as she supported it on her hip, "One question, though.." her tone turned small as she looked away, and around her, "How do I get to the roof..?"

She finished hanging the soaked sheets on the rods, her face almost glowing as she breathed in the fresh air. The headache had considerably lessened, and the swelling had gone down after a good night's rest. "I'm glad they're letting me help out with chores.. Makes it feel like I'm a part of everything.." "That Ukyo, the second son, might be quite the perceptive guy," Juli stated firmly, sitting on the drying rack between two flapping sheets. "However-!" his shout had her jumping as he hopped to his feet, his tone fierce and untrusting, "You need to watch out for that ninth son, Subaru-! And the eldest, Masaomi-!" "Yes, Juli," she waved her arm, inviting him back onto her shoulder so she could nuzzle him affectionately. He folded his arms over his chest, blushing when she pecked his cheek in gratitude. "Thank you for worrying.."

Natasha swung by a local book market on the way back after school, having set a reminder to do so to purchase some manga that Tsubaki and Azuza had recommended. Also to scout out for possible anime she was aware of. She was sorting through a table of books when she got there, about six manga in her left arm as she looked over a recipe book in the other with purpose. If she wanted to start helping everyone out, she could start by making bentos for everyone's lunches.

She was just rounding an aisle that read DVD Rental Corner, intent on searching for an interesting season of anime, pausing mid step at the sight of a familiar boy with hair clips, engrossed in reading the titles.

"Futo?" she couldn't help but blurt, her eyebrows furrowed as she moved to see if it was, in fact, him. She got her answer, however, when he turned to face her, one arm laden with a stack high of disks, a big purple jersey sweater over his designer clothes and glasses covering his eyes. He'd gotten into her face as he marched over, and she had to force herself not to take a step back to show weakness.

"Don't call out my name in such a loud voice, you stupid woman," he hissed. Juli sat stunned on her shoulder, before chittering loudly and angrily, "Stupid woman?! How dare you call her a stupid woman?!" He continued angrily, ignoring the squirrel, "What're you going to do if the other customers figure it out?!" "Oh," her sarcasm dripped into her words as she met his glare, her face in mock apology, "I'm sorry,.." she pouted, "I forgot you were all _holier-than-thou_ and far above the rest of us mere mortals.." he scoffed, rolling his eyes as he looked away, "Come on, seriously.." He huffed in his own despair for a moment, and her anger lessened as she sighed out her temper. Masaomi had to have put some wicked calming charm on her, because she was pretty much just floating through the motions today. "Soo.." she trailed off idly, glancing at his arms as she searched for conversation, "Are you renting all of those..?" "It's for work." he stated briskly. "You're going to be in a movie?" she couldn't help the curious, bright tone she used, she was still a little dopey from her painkillers.

"Hey, you idiot-?!" he snapped, and she had a new hand covering her mouth. Juli had also lifted his paws over his own mouth to silence himself.

"Hey, isn't that Asakura Futo?!"

"What? No way!"

"But I heard that he lived around here somewhere.."

"Sheesh," he muttered, tutting his tongue as he looked away, "Now I can't take my time browsing because of you.." "S-Shit," she felt him release her mouth, and hunched her shoulders, guilt eating way at her spine, "Sorry.. My filter isn't really working today.. I-h-hey-?" he had shoved the pile of DVDs into her arms to shut her up, and she looked down at them blankly. He huffed, "Take responsibility and rent all of these for me." He sighed, turning to leave, "I'll be waiting at home.."

Juli hissed fiercely at his back, and Natasha could only watch as he left the store and ran in a mad dash for a non descript black car. She blinked blankly at the door, before looking down to the movies, sighing as she shook her head, "What do I get myself into..?"

She'd taken her sweet time browsing the anime section to find that, to her glee, Diabolik Lovers did indeed exist, as well as several other of her beloved titles.. Inuyasha.. Death Note.. Really- Pokemon..? -OH MY _GOD_ THEY HAD _DANCE WITH DEVILS-_?! and she rented the first season of all of those, as well as a few more shoujo and shounen anime she hadn't heard of. She payed at the counter, sighing in relief that she'd Created the black debit card she'd had previously in her old world.. Having tested it to see if it worked in this one when she'd gone to get Subaru's cake ingredients. Needless to say, the shit eating grin didn't falter once after that discovery of that for several long, blissful minutes. She slid the card quickly, typing in the code before shouldering the bags, and leaving with a polite 'thank-you' to the sales lady.

Futo was waiting outside her door when she'd gotten home, intent on putting Diabolik Lovers into her system to reminisce from the good ole days. "You're late," he snapped, "How long were you going to keep me waiting for some rental DVDs?" She didn't even waste a beat as she held the bag out to him, her expression neutral, and her tone bored, "My sincerest apologies, your majesty.. I forgot your Holy-ass expected me to play errand girl without a car.." she bit her cheek as she moved to open her door, but his arm stopped her, blocking the way as he leaned against the wall, glaring at her, "If you think a sarcastic apology will get you off the hook, you couldn't be more wrong.." He was uncomfortably close to her face now, and she managed not to sneer in disgust as she cooled her temper, a sharp heat trailing up her spine as his breath tickled her ear, "As punishment, I'm going to have you do all sorts of things for me.." the pause in his words had her face flushing in mortification, her face finally revealing a momentary lapse of terror, his smirk practically audible, " _in your room_.."

* * *

 **Short little chappie to finish off the episode. ^^**

 **Wataru: What is Fu-ton going to do to Onee-chan..?**

 **Natasha: *glares death at the author***

 **^^;; Eh heh heh.. Well..Taru-chan.. Ahm-**

 **Natasha: He's just going to force me to listen to his music, Taru-chan *protectively hides Wataru like lord of the rings* Both Author-baka and Futo know how much I hate it..**

 **TT~TT**

 **Wataru: Rate and Review please~!**


	8. Chapter 3: Part 1

"Do you prefer slavery or degrading situations?" she managed to asked sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes when he'd pulled back to lean against the wall, his face had gone blank for a second, before he tut his tongue, sneering- not quite smirking, not quite scowling, -as she rummaged for her key. This.. this stupid girl.. A stupid girl… who was rolling with his jabs.. He didn't like it..

"You can't, Chii-!" Juli snapped, close to her ear, nearly making her nearly drop the key as she gave him a look, "If you let an animal like him into your room, who know's what he'll do to you?!" "Juli," she whispered under her breath, so the idol couldn't hear, "Trust me when I say he doesn't have the guts or the opportunity to, alright?"

"Hey," the idol in question complained, leaning against the wall as he glared impatiently at her raised hand, "What are you doing? Hurry up and open the door.." She sent him an annoyed scowl, twisting the key with exaggerated movements before she opened the door, swinging her arm out sardonically, shaking her head as she lowered it, "After you, Your Royal Pain in the Ass.."

"Heh," he scoffed at her, a sudden, pleased smile on his face as she lifted her head to look at him, eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. "So you just do what people say..?" She stared at him briefly, confused, before he smirked, waltzing into her room as if he owned it and moving into her bedroom, plopping into the soft, springy mattress and leaning back on his hands comfortably. As she entered the room on her own, she froze in place, blinking owlishly as she swept her eyes around the surface. "What happened in here?!" Juli broke her trance with a cry as he hopped off of her shoulder, jumping onto her desk and sniffing around it curiously, "It smells like Birdman payed us a visit.."

The walls were now a rich lavender color, the wood around the bases of the walls painted white and molded into old European flower styles. She now had thick, lacy black curtains over even thicker, light cancelling creamy white ones. The old desk was replaced with an antique whitewood desk with a long, single slim drawer that stretched along the entire underside, the top of the desk cluttered neatly with a small inkpot, and a suspiciously familiar feather quil and stand. There were posters hanging up on the walls elegantly, and mysteriously adhered to her ceiling were a number of tag-marked posters she had painted over with a special marker to make them glow in the dark.

Her closet now had a super-thin, body-length mirror attached to the door, and there was a definite change to the wardrobe.. She nearly let out a happy cry, until she heard Futo clear his throat in annoyance. "You know," he lounged on her bed casually, oblivious to the serious changes of the room, as he pointed to the now hissing Juli, "That thing is in the way.." "Pardon?" she snapped, putting a hand to Juli's back protectively, _**no one**_ _messed with her adopted children._. "Put it away somewhere," he frowned, annoyed, as if it were a matter of obvious common sense, "What if it scratched my face..? I am a popstar you know.."

"If _he_ ," she emphasised heatedly as she glared at him, feeling a soft, cream white rug relax her feet like a fluffy cloud beneath her toes (that she definitely did _not_ remember before), "-scratched you're oh-so-precious face.. _He'd_ be doing _you_ a favor.." she cocked her hip triumphantly, giving him a glare, "If you want to be a rude-ass, get out of my room, otherwise, you can ask politely for me to find him a place to relax.. He's _my_ pet.. _Don't_ push it.."

He met her eyes in a dull, bored manner, before huffing, tilting his head to the side as he changed his tone, "Onee-san.." he pouted, "Will you please put the rat somewhere so I can spend alone time with you..?" The way he said it had chills raking up her spine, and she had to control the reflex to kick him in the face, instead, she huffed, nuzzling her face into Juli's coat as she walked toward the closet, holding her breath as she focused what she wanted. Under her breath, her mutters dark and irritable, " _S' a Frickin' squirrel.. Punk-ass prick.._ "

Hesitantly, she opened the closet door, the mirror attached to it thin enough to slide without issue. There, inside the closet, was a larger doll-house, styled to look like an acorn-themed condo. She picked Juli up, despite his protests, meeting his eyes as she spoke softly in his ear, fixing his fur carefully, "Listen Jewels," she murmured gently, getting his attention, "The sooner we do this, the sooner he leaves.. I'll call Birdman to watch over us if I can, but If we stall, he'll stay longer just to annoy us.." He started hollering at her in agony, but he quieted once she had placed him in the little condos bedroom, a soft, fluffy bed with an acorn-pattern comforter and two fluffy feather pillows beneath him as he sent her a concerned look, "Chii.. I don't like this..."

"I'm sorry," she sighed, shutting the door of the closet before he could talk her out of it. She turned to face Futo, who was watching her, amused as she flicked the closet light on, despite the door being closed, so that Juli wasn't stuck in the dark. She stood up from her knees, brushing off her lacy black rose tights, flinching at the sound of metal and against metal, the soft swishing sound of the curtains closing sending a shudder from her toes to her hairlines.

"So submissive~.." Futo chuckled softly, his back to her as he pulled the thick curtains closed, "Not a bad quality to have.. Yet you have such a foul mouth.." he turned to face her with a secretive smile, and she resisted the instinct that was telling her to run away screaming 'RAPERAPERAPE!' over and over repeatedly. He chuckled again, facing her completely as his eyes became lidded, "It'll be that much more fun to torment you.." Her body was frozen in a mixture of shock, indignation, and, she admit, a little bit of fear. She couldn't move when he had walked up into her personal space, nor could she resist as he caught her left arm in his right, bringing it up between them until it was nearly level with his shoulder.

"Hey," he asked gently, his own chocolate orbs forcing hers to stay locked, with a silent, implied, 'or else'.. "Would you do something for me?" He didn't even tell her what she had to do before he chuckled, tilting his head as he pointed at the bed, "Sit.." She responded automatically, patting herself on the back that her voice didn't waver, "And why the hell should I..?" His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and she felt her throat constrict. His other hand found her other wrist, and she was pulled up to his chest, his four inches on her nearly making her lose her shit. "Because I said so," he murmured tauntingly, and the way he titled his head down towards her, mockingly, she'd rather risk her pride than kiss this ass. "You know what?" her tone became bright and yielding as she turned her head away quickly, "I'm really tired, maybe sitting down will do me some good."

He smiled at her obedience, letting her wrists go as she all but dived for her bed and curled up on top of it, internally admiring the white wood head and footboards with carved roses, and the royal purple bedspread and two dozen decorative pillows. She pulled a particularly large one from the pile and pulled it up to her lap, nuzzling her face into it to breath in the sweet scent she had associated with Arrow.

Futo wasted no time in getting out several of the DVD's from the shopping bag, pausing when he pulled out an anime, and turned his head to her in surprise, an eyebrow raised mockingly. "I don't recall getting this.." "It's mine," she glared at him, dubiously, narrowing her eyes at his mocking smile, "What's your point.."

He merely grinned, laughing as he shook his head, and slid in one of the DVDs he'd given her at the store, "Compared to you, I'm far more mature.." "I sincerely doubt that," she deadpanned.

While he messed with the DVDs, he caught the overwhelming scent of sugar cookies and vanilla. He raised an eyebrow at her as he stood, but she seemed too busy stuffing her face into the pillow to notice, her eyes fluttering as she audibly sniffed the fabric. However, when she'd noticed his stare she froze, lowering the pillow so she could show a disgusted frown, "Why are you staring at me..?" "God, you're weird.." he chuckled, closing his eyes as he promptly ignored her spluttering at the insult.

He'd hopped onto the bed a few moments later, using the remote to start it as he leaned back on his hands with a pleased sigh. He didn't speak to her for a while, much to her relief, and suspicion, so she tried to focus herself on the movie. It wasn't anything over the top, but she was able to silently point out tips of dialogue and think of blocking improvements. It was ten minutes into the movie before Futo decided to start being a dick again..

"Hey?" he called, and she jumped at the sudden sound, giving him an annoyed look, "Don't do that-!" He smirked briefly, before storing the information for later, instead, going back to his original plan, "Mind if I move a little closer to your side?" At her stupefied, 'hell-no' expression, he touched up his acting, "Because I can't see very well from here.." She opened her mouth to tell him off, but he was already moving, his thigh brushing her briefly as he sat back down, just an inch from their thighs practically fusing. "It's okay," he spoke calmly at her incoherent stuttering, biting back a satisfied smirk as she grit her teeth, face blazing in indignation and anxiety. Two very cute, very _tempting_ expressions.. _So submissive..._

He watched her from the corner of his eyes as she focused back on the movie with a huff, her golden eyes glowing in the television light and soaking in every detail. As soon as she felt the burning pinpricks of his gaze leave her body, she relaxed enough to breath again, letting her eyes trail from the TV to glance at him briefly, then back to the movie, he really _was_ a manipulative jackass..

"I gotta say, that was amazing," he complimented with an unusually honest voice, and she turned her attention to him carefully, hugging the pillow tighter as she listened, "Hey," he asked, turning to meet her eyes swiftly, "Did you see that part?" "You mean the scene where the protagonist was sleeping?" she asked dubiously, smirking slightly when he seemed to get annoyed.

"You don't get it do you? This is the problem with you unwashed masses.." She felt her eye twitched irritably as she listened, her hands fisting into the pillow as she refrained from hitting him with it.. Followed closely by two close acquaintances nicknamed Lefty and Dominic. "Putting on a casual performance like that is the hardest part of all.." She calmed slightly at that, frowning as she grudgingly, internally, agreed with his words. "Mhmm.." she murmured, relaxing from her protective ball to sit Indian style, thankful for the tights, and glad that the skirt was long enough to be able to comfortably sit like so.

"Scenes where all you're doing is walking or sitting.. Those are the parts where you see how how good someone is.." His tone was serious as he looked down in front of him, as if speaking from experience, "Because simple actions can't be faked.. I mean.. I'm not even close to that, yet.." he had a rueful smile on his face, now, and she found herself studying his expressions intently, liar gauge low and waiting..

"But I hope someday.." he looked up calmly, and she suddenly realized something.. This guy actually had a goal other than being a royal-fuck-wit.. "I'll be able to put on a performance like that.." His tone was serious once again, and he kept his eyes trained forward. "I don't want people saying that popstars can't act.. I don't want to have to compromise.." "..Wow.." she managed after a moment, "That's kind of cool.."

He spun in his seat to look at her, his face drawn in annoyance, "Are you making fun of me?"

She giggled, and he opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off, her hand covering his mouth in a flash, forcing him into stunned silence as she tilted her head, eyes calm, "I'm not, actually.. The fact that you're seriously trying to contribute to society and flipping off the stereotypes is actually an act worthy of acknowledgement in my book.." His eyes burned into hers as she continued, and she smiled, "And for your earlier statement, this 'unwashed mass' as you so kindly put it, went through four years of theatre art classes and performed the lead in a district musical.. I'm not a professional actor, but I would hope that I understood the difficulties it takes to actually _become_ that character.. Act the way they do.. Throwing away all of your habits and ideas and replacing it with an entirely new ideal set.. That's actually why some roles are written for certain people.. To make the acting job that much easier," she lifted her finger in a no-no manner, Futo's eyes still locked on her as she continued, "But making it easier doesn't help you.. In fact.. It makes you comfortable.. And further hinders your ability to act.. So please.." she lowered her hand from his mouth calmly, letting both fall to her lap as she looked at him in a civilized manner, "Do not condemn me or group me into your own stereotypes if I have failed to do so with you.. And besides.." she smirked playfully at him, nudging him with her elbow briefly before she relaxed against the wall, arms folding back behind her head as she crossed one leg over the other, tone turning smug, "You're already a great actor.. With that fake smile you paste on every morning and those fake little taunts you throw a me.. If I was a lesser female with rose colored glasses, I'd consider believing you.."

"What..?" he finally managed, blinking as he tried to process her words. She continued calmly, her tone turning relaxed, "It's often easy to slip into a facade to get through trivial situations. Something I often do, I will admit.. I can admire you for that.. To actually have a goal and be putting in the work for it.. Not many kids your age are willing to do that.. But the fact that you're working towards that goal... Well.." she turned her head to smile at him, her eyes holding actual compassion, "Just don't be surprised if I wind up at your big premiere on opening night.." He was silent for a few moments, before he scoffed, his eyes closing as if he'd just heard an awful punchline, "You really _are_ stupid, you know that?" "Excuse me?" she sat up on the bed, irritation in her eyes, "I encourage you to work for your dreams and you call me _stupid._.?"

He smiled at her, his eyes heated and lazy as he leaned toward her, his hand coming up to caress her cheek, causing her to unconsciously freeze in place. "Here I was, thinking of letting you off the hook after this, but.." he turned to her more fully, and she felt her body turned to burning ice, his hands cradling the sides of her face as he brought his face closer to her's, his eyes smoldering just a few inches away. She looked downright petrified.

"Why didn't I ever notice this before?" he murmured softly, and she felt the ice in her veins screech to a halt as his breath fanned across her face. _Shit..Fuck._. "You're actually kind of cute.." _Whatthefuckingshit-_

"Do you mind.. if I call you Onee-chan from now on?" he asked gently, his fingers curling delicately into the hair at her ears. "T-That depends.." she managed softly, eyes wide as he leaned ever closer, "Are you practicing your acting again, or are you being serious..?" He chuckled softly, his teeth showing in a smile as he leaned forward. " _F-Futo_..?" she squeaked in a tiny voice, fingers trembling as she clenched the fabric of her skirt in her hands.

The doorbell rang, and rather than the usual, stabbing chime, it was now a pentatonic scale. She smiled wryly toward the door in question, thanking both Arrow for the change in tune, and Yusuke for his impeccable timing. "Hey? Are you home?" Yusuke called from behind the door, "It's about next week's career counseling session.." Futo used his hand to bring her chin back forward to face him, her body complete stone when his lips brushed the corner of her mouth. "Ignore him.." he murmured, and she felt the fire within her ignite in rage. She heard the door click a second later, and a pause, and she grit her teeth as she pulled back sharply, though he was still almost straddling her at this point, "Get. Off." "Make. Me," he purred, watching as she flinched further away from him.

"Uhh, I'm coming in-!" Yusuke called in warning, sounding thoroughly embarrassed. Futo merely smiled at her glare, his eyes still dancing with mirth.

"Hey, you not here?" Yusuke murmured, and she grit her teeth in rage as Futo pulled an annoyed pout out of his ass, turning to look up the door while holding her firmly in place, "Aw, man, talk about totally barging in on us.."

 _"Haaaahhh?!"_

She had to crane her neck upside down to see him, her hood falling with her as she looked to see an upside-down Yusuke, his face contorted in shock, and anger, the paper in his hands floating to the ground. Futo let her go as Yusuke started walking toward, letting her flop back ungracefully onto the bed with a huff. "F-Futo-?!" Yusuke snapped, getting close enough to reach the end of her bed, "What the hell are you _doing_?!" "No gentleman would ask that," Futo replied indifferently, then in a much sweeter tone to the girl against the bed beneath him, "Right, Onee-chan?" She gave him one, hard glare, before she sat up, fire in her eyes as she hissed, " _Futo…_ …"

"You little-!" Yusuke snapped, the younger male suddenly in a headlock as he growled in anger, Futo, however, only seemed annoyed, "Let go-! You're going to mess up my hair-!" "Shut up-!" Yusuke growled, struggling to keep him in place, "I swear you have to be watched 24/7-!" As he was dragging Futo out of the room by his shoulders, Futo only smiled to her brightly, waving his hand in farewell, "Okay, then, see you later. Let's have fun together some other time~!" "I told you to shut it-!" The door shut with a slam, and she was left staring at the wood, her heart hammering in rage as she took slow, deep breaths. As if a light went on behind her eyes, she was on her feet a moment later, practically diving for the closet door and snapping it open, only to have Juli jump into her arms. And he was _not_ a happy camper….

* * *

"Juli-!" she whined beneath the courtyard tree, her tone pleading, "Please don't stay mad at me-!" His tail was facing her as he folded his paws over his chest, refusing to let her words tempt him back inside, "Chii.. you leave yourself far too open! Even just earlier-! That was a close call-!"

"I'm sorry, Juli-!" she whined, pouting weakly at his furry tail, "I didn't know he'd stay that long or be such a dick-! But if you'd have stayed out, he would have stayed longer, or been worse-!"

"Hah," he scoffed, "As if an animal like him would listen to reason.."

"Do you really want to stay out here..?" she sounded defeated, but crossed her fingers for a 'no'. But when he didn't answer, she sighed, resigned to let him alone. "I have to cook dinner.. But.. I'll leave my window open for you, later.."

She turned to walk back inside with a sigh, head lowered as she felt disappointment tighten her shoulders.

* * *

Natasha checked her uniform in the mirror quickly the next morning, fixing her flesh toned leggings before turning to face Arrow, who was settled casually along her bed, lying in a relaxed heap. "I wanted to thank you for all this," she called with a smile, his white gloved hand raising to wave her off, "Don't worry about it.." "But this is _awesome-_!" she cheered, moving to tackle him to the bed, the blonde below her releasing a huff of surprise as pillows went flying and he was pinned. He gave her a tired, dubious look, and she grinned, leaning down to peck his nose before scrambling to get her bag, "Bye Arrow~!" she chimed, leaving the room with a skip in her step. He grumbled something about mood swings and temperamental children before he popped another chocolate truffle into his lips. Courtesy of the bowl she had given him upon her nightstand.

* * *

The school day passed uneventfully, however, she had gotten up early enough to prepare bentos for all the brothers and herself. She'd even played a few good natured jokes with it.. Lets just say Futo might be eating something akin to picachu for lunch.. (Muahahahahahah~! :D)

The day passed her by in a blur, and as the final bell rang, she carried her filled-out career form over to Yusuke, humming softly as she read it over once more for imperfections.

"Are you having trouble deciding what schools to go to?" Natasha asked curiously, leaning over Yusuke's desk.

 _"Aahh-?_!" he screamed, and she bit back a squeak, clutching a hand over her heart, much like he was doing, as he calmed down, "Oh.. it's you.." he sounded both terrified and relieved at the same time. "W-What about you..?" he asked after an awkward moment of silence, his face flushing as he turned to glance at the window. "Do you know where you want to go..?"

"Yeah," she nodded, her relieved, "I just wanted ask you something.." She set the paper down on the table in front of him, leaning on the desk with one hand and pointing to the only void space on the paper as he looked forward and down, his face and neck now completely red, though her eyes were busy with reading the words. "I have no idea whose name I should put down here.."

"Oh," he sounded relieved as she stood straight again, running a hand over the back of his neck, "Come to think of it, your old man's been overseas for work this whole time, huh?" "Yeah," she sighed, blowing a lock of pristine white from her face, "He said he won't make it back until the wedding next month.. So I'm completely screwed for that option.." he choked a bit at her words, before forcing his mouth to function, "Oh, right.. The wedding's in a month, already..?" "It's been awhile since I've seen him.." Natasha admit quietly, sighing as she remembered the immediate way she'd first met him and had been given a warm, familial hug. She'd eaten with him, and discussed his travels.. And she'd never felt so.. Relaxed.. Around a person.. "So.. I'm kind of looking forward to it.." "Well," he turned to his desk with a slight smile, before turning to her, "It's kind of the same thing for us.. Write down Masa-nii's name for now.. I'll ask him to handle it.."

"Is that alright?" she asked dubiously, kind of put-out for having to impose.

"Of course," he smiled, "Our parents are getting married," she hadn't heard him actually say the words until now, and she was kind of surprised at how suddenly he was able to say it. "And once they do, we'll be family.. Don't be shy about it.." "Guess I'm still adjusting.." she murmured, before offering him a smile, "Thank-you, Yusuke-kun.."

"Its no big deal," he muttered, turning in his chair away from her. However, she would have none of that, hopping into his line of sight again to give him a teasing smile, "Nuh-uh.. It makes me happy.." she grinned, flashing her pearly white teeth brightly, "That you'd think about something like this just proves you care.." "H-Hey-!" he stuttered, pouting when she only laughed softly. "Well," she smiled, pausing to pat his head twice before she skipped off toward her chair, grabbing her bag with a final wave back, her mouth gleaming with a Cheshire cat smile, "I'll see you later at home, nii-chan-!" "O-Oi-?!" He called, hand outstretched to stop her as her back disappeared out the door. He paused for a moment, grabbed his head in agitation, and inwardly screamed.

* * *

 **Does anyone else find Yusuke to be just absolutely adorable.. I mean.. Come one-!**

 **Natasha: *going though her phone***

 **w Are you looking at a picture of Yusuke-kun~?**

 **Natasha: OmO NO-!**

 **Wataru: *peeks over Natasha's shoulder* Ooh~! It's Yu-chan from the pool~!**

 **Natasha: *internally screaming in Korean* (Any Mystic Messenger fans out there?)**

 **I do not own Brothers Conflict. I do, however, own my Cs, and any original products/ideas. Any use of either must be gone through with me.**


	9. Chapter 3: part 2

She'd changed into her hoodie and a pair of loose black slacks after she'd gotten home, eyes narrowed as she went mission-impossible-style in search for Masaomi. She'd later found him in the living room, calling out to him from the upper balcony with a grin and a wave. "Tadaima, Masaomi-nii-san-!"

"Welcome home," he greeted brightly, waving her down. She took the stairs with fairy feet, skipping over to him gently before stopping, taking a deep breath before she rubbed the back of her neck, the college form clutched tightly in her other hand. "Masaomi-san, I have a question.." "What is it?" he was suddenly serious, sitting up straighter as his inner physician kicked in. She laughed slightly, holding out her hands and shaking her head, "No-no.. I'm not hurt.." she paused, then added, embarrassed, "..This time.." "Oh," he sighed, relieved, and looked up to her gently, "What is it that you need?" "I was wondering if you could sign this?" she asked, holding out the paper carefully, "The school is having a career counselling meeting.. But.." "Your father is overseas," he finished, and her relieved smile was nearly palpable, "Yes.. I was wondering if you could..?"

"I'll sign it, don't worry," he smiled reassuringly, and she grinned, bowing several times in thanks before hopping to sit beside him on the couch, her smile wide, "This takes a lot of stress off of my shoulders.. I had no idea what I was going to do, but Yusuke-san said to talk to you about it."

"Aah," he smiled, digging his hands in his pockets in search of something, "I often attends these things when Kaa-san is away on business. Its nothing new, so if there's anything else like this, know you can come to me for it.. I often attend the others' meetings when they were in school, as well.. Nothing new.." "Oh.." she blinked slowly at that, her smile fading as he produced a small black cylinder, uncapping it to reveal a red stamp. "That's.." she tried softly, drawing his attention to her after an awkward pause. He glanced over to her slightly, eyebrows furrowed slightly as he took in her dazed, darkened expression. "Imouto..?" "That.. kind of sucks.."

Her blatant statement had him stunned, his eyes blinking in silence as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as her fingers covered her forehead, palm kneading into the furrow of her brow and her lips thinned in concentration. "I don't.. understand," he murmured, leaning forward to place his elbows on his knees, his head tilting down to see a shadow over her eyes, further darkened due to the hoodie over her hair and ears. "It sucks.." she muttered, and he kept himself from jumping at the disdain in her tone. "Does it always fall to you..?" Her tone was bitter, and her teeth gnashing, while his eyes were trained on her soft pink petaled lips, the bottom lip just a tad bigger than the top lip as she swallowed, and continued, "Do you always wind up with all of the responsibilities and the stress that comes with raising not only one, but twelve.. Now thirteen people..?" She lifted her head to look at him, and his breath caught. He couldn't answer.

"That sucks, Masaomi," she stated, her voice heated and her eyes glassy. Her bangs were loose, the long white strands brushing beneath her eyes and tickling her nose. He watched her in silence for a moment, a sparkling liquid pooling in the corner of her eyes, before a single, beaded tear slid down her cheek, falling from her jaw and leaving a dark grey spot on his khakis. "Aah," she sat up abruptly, her hands fisting into the pockets of her hoodie, while she lifted a shoulder to rub at her cheek, "S-.. Sorry, Masaomi-san.." "Aniki." he said it so quietly she almost didn't hear him, her eyes blurring as she pulled out a hand to rub furiously at her eyes, "I didn't.. Mean to be so blunt with you.." "Aniki." he repeated, louder this time, but by now, she was already standing, the form forgotten as she turned to leave, "If.. you will excuse me.. I'm just going to go get some rest-"

He was on his feet before she took two steps. A hand at her shoulder spun her, and another pulled her elbow forward, pressing her tightly into a tall, firm chest as one arm wound behind her neck, the other holding her waist still. Her arms were half-raised at her sides, and she merely stood in blank confusion as her tears seeped into his tea green shirt. "Masaomi-san-" " _Aniki_.." he repeated, loud and clear this time, as he cradled her head into his upper abdomen. "Call me _Aniki_ , please.."

She paused at that, tears halting as she trembled in his hold. Feeling her shudder, he held her tightly, his jaw clenching and relaxing as he rubbed soothing patterns into her back.

"You're not.. Mad..?" she sounded unsure, and ashamed, and he felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he left out a soft laugh through his lips, "Why would I be..?"

"I basically just bawled you out for being a doting older brother.." she murmured, face burning as she hid within the creases of his shirt, her arms finally relaxing enough to awkwardly grip the back of his shirt between her fingers. "I'd be mad.. As an older sister.."

"I find it endearing," he laughed, and she felt his hand pull away the hood, petting the strands of her hair and moving to tilt her chin up, "That you would be worried about something like that.."

Her face went from pink lemonade to watermelon red, eyes wide and glassy as steam spewed out of her ears. "W-Worried?!" she gasped, flailing back until she had two feet of personal space, and he smiled at her stubborn folded arms as her hunched shoulders, "As if I would be worried-! You're a grown man, that's all- I'm just saying it isn't right as a human being for so much weight.. Eventually," she sent him a dull look, "They _all_ crack under pressure.." The purely innocent way she had said it only fueled his amusement, and he couldn't help but laugh, tilting his head back and holding his stomach. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, giving a small, weak smile before her face retained the cool indifference. "I'm going to start dinner for Ukyo.." she turned to leave the living room, but paused at the foot of the couch, her back to him, though with the hood down, her ears burned like rubies, ".A..Ani..ki.." She stalked off without another word, and Masaomi let out a slow, heavy sigh as she rounded the hall, reaching up a hand to touch his brow, before shaking his head, and heading for the stairs. He should really not be thinking such indecent things about that girl..

* * *

" _Shitshitshitshitshit_ -!" Natasha roared, her left hand clawing at her hair, and pulling the strands in absolute horror, " _AARRRRRRROOOOWWWWWWWW_?!" Said male flinched from his spot in the main room, nearly spilling his hot chocolate on the pristine white rug with a look of startled bewilderment, Juli was at her side in an instant, though as he saw that one of her hands was covered in blood, he promptly fainted, his soul leaving his tiny furry body as Arrow materialized at her side, watching as she lifted her right wrist in the air, her left hand around it in a bruising grip, eyes terrified and accusing. "What the _hell_ -?!" "Terminology-" he started to request, but paused when a nearly murderous look came on her face, irk marks littered all over her body. " _Arrow_ ," she hissed, in a delicate, singsong voice, " _Why in_ God's name _am I bleeding in a place that should_ not _be bleeding_?!" She was thankful that she had closed and locked all of the doors, and that Arrow had materialized, rather than opened it.

"Isn't that a normal occurrence for female humans..?" he sounded oblivious and confused tone, "Are they not expected to have such things should a life force not take place within their abdomens..?" " _Arrow_.." she hissed, the non-bloody hand reaching up to snatch the lapel of his jacket, pulling him down to be eye level with a snarl, " _It's not just down there, baka_.."

He pulled back slightly as she released him, her murderous eyes switching to fear in a nanosecond as she leaned into the counter, stabling herself with her palms on the pristine white countertops, her fingertips staining it a bright crimson. "It.. it _hurts_ , Arrow.."

A crippling pain spread through her body like a wave, something much more intense than a monthly cramp.. It felt like she was hit by a.. _Oh FUCK_ -! She crumpled to her elbows in pain as she whimpered, feeling large, strong arms envelop her body before she felt a sudden lightness, and she was placed onto her bed. A passing thought worried for it staining, but it was pushed away as another crippling wave shot through her body, and she felt soft, angelic hands cupping her face, another, different soft pressure at her temple before everything turned white.

She felt like she was floating, the concept of time impossible as she felt phantom hands tracing over her body.. A pair of ruby eyes gleaming as the whiteness suddenly turned pitch black, wrapping her in a blanket of dark silk. Compared to the chill of the whiteness, this dark was warm, and the ruby eyes just a space ahead of hers were so gentle and inviting, a sculpted mouth, vaguely familiar, mouthing words she strained to hear. " _Such .. good girl… ..foolish brother… won't see… meet soon.._ "

"Wait.." she rasped, reaching out a bare hand to the familiar man.. He looked so _damned familiar_.. "Wait-! Please, wait-!" she yelled, louder, her voice echoing around the empty space. And suddenly, it was destroyed by a beautiful, masculine laugh. His words coated in honey and his breath ghosting at her neck, though when she turned to look, there was nothing there.. "Until we meet, _mea femina_.." There were hands now, long, skeletal hands pulling at her ankles in the liquid black, pulling her down further as she kicked them, "L-Let go-!" They started to crawl up her body, and they must have reached the bottom, because when she looked down, her feet were sinking.. disappearing in a pool of inky black water, corpses reflecting beneath the surface as more ghostly figures pull at her body, dragging her down, "Get off of me-! Get off-! Let go-! WAIT _WAIT_ -"

" _I said WAIT, DAMNIT_ -!" Natasha roared, sitting up in her bed with a cry befitting a dying cat. She felt a sense of shock at the feeling of a mattress beneath her, followed by a pain in the form of a headache as bright light assaulted her eyes for the second time that morning.. Well.. third if she counted that weird room..

The next thing she felt was a sudden weight smacking into her chest, pressing her back into the bed as she blinked in surprised at the bawling squirrel in her arms. She listed to him ramble about blood and how she needed to talk to Arrow about why she was screaming and- oh how he was worried- and- if she ever did that again he didn't know what would happen-

"Juli-!" she gasped, feeling his chibi-tears soak her uniform, "Juli, _daijoubu_?" "Are you seriously asking the squirrel if it's alright-?!" The sharp tone had her eyes snapping up in shock to see the majority of the brothers in her room, looking on her with various expressions of anxiety and fear. "What's goin' on~?" she asked awkwardly, sitting up and running her fingers through Juli's fur to calm him. A quick glance around the room left her to believe that Arrow was gone again, and she gulped, her golden eyes wide and slightly unsure.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," Futo hissed, running a hand over his face as he glared at her, "The rare time I'm at home to sleep and you wake me up with your insufferable screaming.."

"Futo-!" Yusuke snapped, and she had never seen him so angry.. Not even when Tsubaki was tormenting him.. She swallowed a mouthful of saliva as she looked over the others. There was Futo, at the foot of her bed, being held by the collar of his sleep shirt by Yusuke, who was glowering hell fire at him, and Subaru near them with an awkward blush on his face. Tsubaki was at her bedside, and holding the hand that wasn't petting Juli, Azuza in her desk chair close by. Ukyo was near the foot of her bed as well, while Iori was adjusting the curtains to keep the light out of her eyes. Even little Wataru was by Tsubaki, holding onto her sleeve with teary eyes and a runny nose. She was in big-sister mode in a nanosecond, her body diving for Wataru and latching onto his body like a bear, "Taru-chan-Taru-chan," she held him as she heard his stuttering cries, rocking slightly from her slumped, slightly uncomfortable position, but ignoring it, "What's wrong, Otouto..? Whats wrong..?"

"Onee-chan~!" he bawled openly, his cries drowning her soft whispers to calm down, however, when Ukyo stepped forward to pat the boy's shoulder, he only got louder. Natasha flinched at the change in pitch, pressing her lips together in thought before she nodded to herself, wrapping her arms under his armpits before she physically lifted him into the bed in a heartbeat, pulling his head to her neck and her fingers combing through his hair as she felt his body curl into hers. The others stilled at the sudden show of strength, but watched in silence as she put her lips to his ears, her voice soft and sweet.

"Taru-chan," she murmured into his hair, her lips brushing his hair gently, "I can't understand what's making you upset if you don't tell me.. Can you take a deep breath for me..?" she moved gently. She heard him sniffle, before he nodded into her neck, his fists tightening into her blouse, before she felt his shaky breath against her neck, and his sniffles soften. "There you go," she smiled, her eyes closed as she kissed his forehead, "Do it once more.." He complied, but his grip on her person did not phase. "Once more, please.." she asked again, softly. He did it again. "Can I have you do it one more time..?" He did so. "One more teeny-weeny-itty-bitty-time?" She pleaded softly, her lips pouting when he pulled back to give her a similar, watery one, "On-nee-ch-chan," he hiccuped, his face red and blotchy. She smiled at him gently, reaching up to cup his face and peck his forehead softly, "I know, I know.. I'm annoying.." He sniffed at that, and she gently pat his hands, before looking up to the others, who were watching in silent fascination.

"What?" she called, and they shook themselves out of it respectively before she felt Tsubaki's arms around her, nearly stealing the air from her legs and smothering her with his chest in the process, Wataru's safety be damned. "O-xy-gen..?!"

"Imouto-" Tsubaki whined, his face burying in her puffy, white bedhead, that oddly resembled white cotton candy, "You were screaming so loud.. We had to get Masaomi to get a key to get in- but then he saw you bleeding, and, well.. Fainted.. Kaname took him back to his room, but.." she felt his grip on her tighten, and her discomfort must have shown on her face before Azuza leaned forward, practically peeling him off of her before she was then pulled into a new set of arms, surprised when she felt Louis' long hair tickle her face. She hadn't seen him..

"Louis..?" she murmured, breathing in the scent of his godly shampoo and forgetting herself for a moment as she breathed in the sweet scent, her voice detached and sleepy, "Mmm.. Peaches…" It was a tense silence before she snapped back to reality, her face blanking before she screamed, ripping the blanket up to cover her up and over her head, Wataru with her out of obligation of his clingy-ness. "What's going on-?!"

"We were hoping you could tell us, that," Ukyo was beside her bed in a moment, pulling the blanket down just enough for both of the younger human's heads to pop out. "You were screaming at the top of your lungs, and when we found you, you were unconscious, bleeding on your duvet.. The question is.." He tugged the duvet off completely, and she was left briefly bare before her hands scrambled to adjust the already rumpled shirt, however, the lawyer's hands were diligent with prying hers away and revealing a slim white roll of bandages around her wrist and hand, a bright red blood stain soaking through in the crease where her thumb and index finger webbed, as well as soaking across the majority of her palm.

"What the-" she halted as she felt the tiny fists in her clothes, a stubborn set to her jaw as she quickly improvised, "Fudge-?!" she shook her head quickly, as if imagining it, before she allowed Wataru to hold onto one arm while she bent over, lifting her knee and tilting her head as she moved to pull off the bandages. "What happened?" It was Azuza this time, and she looked up to deep violet eyes before she looked back down with a grimace, "Would you believe me if I said I woke up to this?" "Not at all," Futo answered for them in a dull monotone, and the sharp scathing look she sent him had him flinch slightly, but stand immobile. "What the hell were you screaming about, then?"

"Screaming, _screaming_ ," she repeated, shaking her head, "I have no idea what you're talking about, I don't remember screaming at all.." "You were telling someone to let go of you.." Yusuke was strained and gritting his teeth, his eyes never leaving hers, "You were telling them to.. _Get off_ of you.."

"Is there something we should be aware of..?" Ukyo asked calmly, but it was clear in his tone that he would not be satisfied with a 'no'. "Seriously, what the hell is going on?" She muttered, having lifted both hands to shield Taru-chan's ears at the sound of the 'H' word. "I don't remember any of this.. Not the.. _Screaming_.. For what, even? .. And sure as hell -cue covering Wataru's ears- not a wound on my writing hand.." She held the aforementioned hand to her chest with a pout, and a sniff, "I treasure this hand.. If it was hurt, I guarantee I would remember it.."

Yusuke's hand was slammed into the wall, and she jumped with a yelp, eyes wide as she clung to Wataru. "What the heck, Yusuke-?!"

"Don't.." he muttered, his voice low and scratchy as he leaned deeper into the wall, "Don't act as if.. As if it was nothing.." "You looked possessed," Futo snapped, annoyed, as he glared at her oblivious expression, "thrashing on the bed, moaning in agony and screaming to be released.." "Must all of your analogies be sexually based and crude?" she asked irritably, ignoring the sudden suspicious looks they received from the others. "Look," she huffed, her good hand coming up to brush away her bangs, "Don't we have school soon?"

"You're not going," Ukyo stated simply, and she was quick to bounce from the bed, her bad hand poking into his chest irritably and her eyes like liquid fire, "Like Hell am I not going to school-!" She flinched after a pause, everyone's blank with shock faces mirroring hers, her face blanking as she slowly looked down at her hands, pulling off the rest of the bandages and glaring down at her palm, "Maybe I'm.. PMSing..?" She sounded terribly unsure and irritated, "I.. I'm sorry, Ukyo- but-.. G-..Give me a minute," she held up her hands and moved towards the bathroom. She felt a tug at her good wrist, and looked up to see Iori with a concerned expression. "Iori.." she murmured under her breath, gritting her teeth as she gave a shallow glare to the room, "I'm going to assume you all know what a menstrual cycle is.. So unless you want to be on the receiving end of my temper.. Kindly release my wrist.."

She was free less than a second later, and addressed the males in her room calmly, "If you could all please escort yourselves from my chambers.. I would like some privacy for a moment.."

* * *

Natasha sighed as she finished dressing, a new bandage around her hand and a foul smelling paste to help heal scars and torn skin. Creepily enough, the strange, stinging wound on her hand was in the shape of a ram with sharp horns.. Or.. a trident.. If she were to turn it upside down..

She had shouldered her bag and shoes as she hurried to leave the room, slamming into someone clearly taller. She held her forehead as she stepped back, flinching as she felt a hand replacing hers and soothing the spot with a gentle touch.

"Chii," Louis murmured, remained unfazed as she trilled at his presence, pulled back with a gasp and holding her chest in surprise, giving him a forced smile after a moment of erratic heart hammering. "Louis-san," she sighed, nodding her head, "What can I do for you..?" "I would like.. To do your hair.." he murmured, lifting a hand to caress the hastily-brushed strands that had been poorly placed in a ponytail. "Aah," she tipped her head down, before fidgeting, "I have to get to school, soon.. I don't know I'll I have time.." "I won't.. Take long," he assured her softly, offering her a soothing smile. She let out a soft breath, weighing her options before she shook her head, "Alright.. But only something simple, yeah?" he was pulling her into the hallway and toward his room before she had finished. In a matter of ten and a half minutes, she was allowed to see her reflection, almost fainting at the sight of a similar style to the one she wore to Subaru's birthday party. However, this time, the one rose was now tied into crowns, one at the back of her head, and one behind each ear. The rest of her hair was brushed to gently fall to her collarbone and brush the back of her shoulders, soft and alluring as cotton candy.

"Thank you.." she murmured, giving in to the urge to hug the sleepy kitten before she bowed, and rushed for the door, "I really have to go, now.. Thank you, Louis-nii-!"

She had barely managed to float down the stairs before she was in another male's arms, this time being Azuza as he caught her at the bottom of the stairs. She thanked him quickly before bursting for the kitchen, intent on grabbing an apple and rushing for the train, but a hand caught her arm, and she was turned face-to-face with Yusuke. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked firmly, and she whimpered, much to his shock as she leaned into him, her forehead pressing into his chest, causing him to tense incredibly, and her soft sniffles to be heard. He looked down at her, then, probably the biggest mistake of his life, so far..

Her eyes were big, round, and teary, lips pouting and her shoulders curved in. (Level nine puppy-dog powers: ACTIVATE)

"School…?" she sniffled, a tear peaking out the corner of her eye and threatening to fall..

"Brfnst," he muttered, pressing her back by her upper arms. "What?" she murmured, only to feel him round her and push her toward the dining room, her heels sliding against the wood effortlessly, "Breakfast." he stated simply. She was forced into a chair between Azuza and Tsubaki. She was quick to eat her food, pausing only to take sip of milk to take down her big bites. She'd not be in such a hurry if they _weren't going to be late for the train in five minutes-_! "Okay-!" she snapped, standing quickly and giving them each a sharp look, "I appreciate the concern, but all you have to know right now is that I'm an emotional wreck and will have violent mood swings for the next few days.. Unless you'd like to effortlessly hop between emotional woopie cushion and body pillow I suggest you avoid me- with that said-" she gave a sharp salute, before she leaned over, grasping the back of Yusuke's collar to drag him toward the door, "C'mon mister takes-an-hour-to-eat-! We've got five minutes to catch that train-!" "Oi-?!" he whined, his feet dragging in the floor as she sped them through the process of getting them out of the house.

" _NATASHA_ -?! SLOW DOWN-!"

* * *

 **A bit more Masao-nii fluff...**

 **Natasha: *Saiyan level death glare***

 **Tsubaki and Azuza, from the convenient peanut gallery: *whispers* It's over nine thousand-!**

 **See previous chapters for disclaimer.**


	10. Chapter 3: part 3

The day passed without another incident, though Yusuke had kept a sharp eye on her up until lunch, and by that time, he was satisfied (due to a ten minute rant during break) that she did not intentionally harm herself, and that (due to his threats otherwise) if she were having a personal issue, she would talk to someone immediately. He'd seriously made her cross her heart for it, finishing off with her own pinkie swear. Other than that, the day was lax.. She'd finished a new drawing.. Though.. It creepily reminded her of Arrow..

Arrow.. Merely thinking the name of her guardian angel brought a pulsing pain to her sore wound. And whenever she showed the slightest bit of discomfort in the presence of Yusuke, he would grab her wrist, lift it up, and demand she tell him if it hurt or not. Pushy.. Stubborn.. _Attractive.. Brat.._

"Is it over, yet..?" she groaned softly, her head on the table as she relaxed. Yusuke smiled slightly, before shaking his head roughly, running his fingers through his bangs sharply, "Nah.. we still have the career meeting after school today with sensei and Masaomi-nii.."

The word career struck her brain, and she sat upright in a flash, hands in her hair in a panic. "Fuck-!" Yusuke flinched at her language, but relaxed as she turned to go through her bag, smirking slightly as he realized the cause of her distress. "Baka~!" he taunted brightly, watching as she sent him a dark pout, "You left the sheet on the living room table so I stuck it in your bag this morning.." He smirked, proud of his achievement, before he was assaulted with a pair of short, but leanly muscled arms. He lifted his arms out like a goose in surprise, his stunned face looking down to see a white-haired female with her face pressed into his chest, and nuzzling gently.

"Yusuke-nii-chan is the best brother in the world~!" she chirped, oblivious to his sudden demeanor change from shocked, to secretly pleased, to annoyed and irritable. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, shoving her off slightly so he could move to find a seat, "Save the hugs for Wataru, ne?"

* * *

Natasha was seated on Yusuke's right, the sensei in front of him and the open seat of the temporary four desk cube left open for Masaomi. However, she was still unsure if he would be called away for an emergency or if her involvement had changed things.. So far, though.. Everything seemed to be running smoothly..

Natasha was sitting quietly in her seat, knee pulled up so her feet were on the seat with her (Like L would sit, but with more space in her lap) and her sketchbook hidden from Yusuke's curious, prying eyes. He'd tried more than once to look over her shoulder, but with each attempt, she would lean the opposite direction in her chair with a smirk, and he would pout, absolutely bored. It was in the middle of one of these peak-and-lean games, (while the sensei watched idly in silence with a rather large drop of sweat on the back of her head) that the door slid open, revealing a black suited, purple undershirt the same color of his sash, wearing, Asahina Kaname.

"Hello~!" he greeted brightly, flashing a charming smile at the poor, middle-aged woman, "Thank you for looking after my unworthy brother and my adorable little Imouto-chan~!" Yusuke was on his feet in an instant, and, upset by the balance, Natasha flailed her arms in a windmill frantically. She felt a hand at her back in the next second before she could get romantically involved with the floor, and she sent a startled, but thankful smile, up to the blonde haired monk. "Kana-nii-?!" Yusuke gasped, bewildered, while Natasha looked unfazed, "Why?!"

"Masa-nii was called to an emergency. And I just happened to be free.. So he asked me to fill in for him.." Kaname slid into his seat smoothly after he'd pat Natasha's head, assuring she wouldn't fall again, before he gave the teacher a charming smile. She flushed under the attention, but it was only expected. There was a tense, long, awkward pause, before Yusuke sighed, leaning back in his seat with a grumble. "So, why are we doing this meeting with all four of us, here?"

Natasha lowered her pen, but flashed her eyes up curiously at Kaname, who had stretched his long legs out beneath the table. His ankle had brushed her's, innocent-maybe-not-so, and she was stunned to say the least. Instead of figuring out how to respond to this particular little action, she focused whole heartedly on the conversation at hand, Kaname coincidentally being the one to answer the male's inquiry.

"Now, now, don't be so uptight.." Kaname chastised good naturedly, "Right, Kishida-sensei?" "R-Right.."

Kaname reached his hand out for her sheet, and she remains silent as he looked it over, her eyes blinking gently when he looked surprised. "Imouto-chan.. Your top college choice is the college where Subaru attends.."

"Aah," she murmured, uncaring as she started to trace the male's figure into the sketchbook with the permanent substance. Unbeknownst to her divided attention, he nearly pouted, "Could that be because Suba's there..? I'm going to cry if that's the case~.."

She capped the pen with a snap, finally sitting up and sending a glare to Yusuke, who tensed, having been caught trying to sneak a peek again, before she turned a calm, indifferent look to Kaname. "The reason I chose Meiji is because it is a twenty minute walk and train fare.. Not to mention I'll be able to have a decent education for the Graphic Design and Animation degree I plan on pursuing.. My next three choices are all in America, and while it would be an adventure to explore a new country, I don't have the patience or time to learn a new language, as well as spend time with my family, Meiji is the most logical option." It was quiet for a moment, before sensei sighed, "Just like Hinata-chan to analyze it through and through.."

"Arigato, sensei," she replied calmly, sending Yusuke a warning look as she once again opened the book to begin outlining. Kaname let it be quiet for a moment more before he reached for Yusuke's paper, his expression of surprise turning to confusion. "Yu-chan.. Your list of preferable colleges is blank.." Yusuke seemed to still a that, his expression turning blank. "You're not planning to go to college?" Kaname prompted. Yusuke paused at that, swallowed, took a breath and let it out, she turned to him as he glanced over, though he was quick to return his eyes to the desk, "I.. I want to go there, too.." he murmured, almost under his breath, to the point that even Natasha couldn't clearly hear him.. "What?" Kaname sounded confused, "Where?"

Yusuke must have snapped with the pressure, because suddenly he was on his feet, talking to his brother in a raised voice, "I just told you-! I'm going to the same college, too-!"

"Yusuke," Natasha spoke calmly, lifting a hand, and grasping his sleeve, "Sit down please.."

"Aah?!" he seemed shocked that she was grasping his arm, but before he could comprehend just what she was doing, her foot had slid out, knocking his feet out from under him and having him spill back into his chair with a huff. "Chill out," she sent him a cool smile, and he turned his head to stare as she traced the edge of a braided crown with the tip of her finger, "Since we'll be going to the same entrance exam, we can study more often together.. I already know a lot of the material, and I'm sure sensei and Kan- aah," she paused, then sighed, "I mean, _Aniki_ ," she had to enunciate the word slowly, needing to make a habit, "Can help us prepare for it.."

Kaname smiled in delight at her little fix, and she felt the brush of his shoe against the side of her ankle, a soft, teasing touch that sent both fire and ice coursing through her veins without leisure. Damn this charming man and his seductive tendencies..

* * *

By the time they had gotten home, Natasha was flustered, tired, and craving milk..

She'd barely stepped into the living room before she'd stumbled on what supposedly looked like an intense brother meeting, minus Kaname, who was trailing in behind her, humming a vaguely familiar tune, and Futo, who most likely had work. She shook it off as fatigue as she headed toward the kitchen, Yusuke calling out 'Tadaima' loud enough for the both of them. She waved non committed towards the others as she slipped into the hall, careening into the hallway and searching for a glass. She could make her own mini fridge and necessities for fasting, later, but right now..

She downed one glass to sate the craving, slightly, before refilling it to actually savor the drink. And, in preparation to be savoring the drink, she had ducked beneath the breakfast nook, sandwiching herself between the chairs as she sipped her prize, her knees at her chest as she relaxed. It was just something about small, enclosed places that seemed to calm her down..

A pair of feet suddenly came into her peripheral, and she blinked in surprise. A hand came down in an offering gesture, and she narrowed her eyes, sipping her milk as she heard a tired sigh. "Chii-chan.." "Louis?" she asked suspiciously. "Yes," he murmured, moving to get on his knees in front of her, Juli brooding silently from his shoulder with obvious anxiety, observing that she had claimed the space as a temporary nest, and was currently comfortable in such a predicament. "The others ask.. That you come out.." he murmured, a bit louder, this time. She narrowed her eyes with another sip of her treat, before glancing away, her face turning pink, "Can I bring my milk..?"

Louis chuckled softly, and nodded when she turned an absolutely serious look to him. She took his offered hand without hesitation, this time, her eyes lazy as she was pulled to his side, his arm wrapping around her shoulder as he lead her toward the living room. "I'm not going to be grounded for unintentionally hurting myself, am I?" she asked dubiously. Louis hummed, non committedly, "We'll… see…" "Wow.." she murmured sarcastically, "How reassuring.." He chuckled.

She was brought in gently and the room was dead quiet, everyone wearing a serious expression on their faces. With a sigh, she cuddled into the couch, looking up blearily at Masaomi, seeming as he was the one with something to say, and she was correct. "Natasha," Masaomi started off slowly, and calmly, and she was tempted to fall asleep, but she powered through. "You've been here for nearly two weeks now.." _Wait, seriously_? She thought dubiously, blinking in surprise when he'd said such a thing. Hiding her surprise, he'd continued, regardless of her attention. "But it's very clear that we've all come to care for you as a little sister.. And while we know it's still an adjustment for you.. We need you to know that you can talk to us.. About _anything_.." he spoke calmly, leaning in front of her with his elbow on his knees, as if she were a wounded doe, as her eyes nearly suggesting the same. "Alright," she sat up slowly, cracking her neck as she looked them over, their gazes of various concern making her heart throb, "What do you hope to achieve from any of this..?"

"We cannot force you to trust us," Ukyo spoke this time, and she lifted her eyes to meet the lawyer's calmly, "However, we can work towards that.." "No seriously," she rolled her eyes, slumping deeper into her seat and sipping at her milk, ignoring the soft touch of Louis' fingers brushing through her white cotton-handy hair. "Why are we having this discussion.. I told you this morning what was wrong with me.." "That doesn't explain you looking like something off of _Summoning_.." Tsubaki drawled, his usually carefree tone hard and serious. It took her a minute to react to that, eyes blinking quietly before she forced her attention to her cup, "I told you I don't remember screaming.. My dream wasn't even that bad.."

"Do you have enough trust to tell us about it?" Iori asked calmly, and she turned her eyes to him calmly, sighing out the last of her irritation and shaking her head, "Like I said.. I don't remember screaming.. However.. I suppose that's just a heads up for womanly times.." The response had sent several blushing immediately, but she ignored them, waving her hand, "It's an unavoidable part of life that I lost shame admitting to at fourteen. If you want to discuss it with me, you make the first move, because just because I'm cool with talking about it, doesn't mean I'm going to scream from the rooftops that I crave dairy and chocolate.." Then a pause, as she turned suddenly thoughtful, her hand cradling her chin as her eyes closed, "Speaking of which.. I should probably swing by the store for more chocolate.."

"If you don't mind," Masaomi put a hand on her shoulder when she'd stood up, presumably to go and find her jacket, her big golden eyes peering back at him curiously as she glanced from his hand to his face in contemplative silence. "I would like to talk to you about this.. It's not a common symptom of.." at her absolute innocence, and paused, shaking his head before he continued, "this is not a good thing, Natasha.. I ask that you trust me, if not as a brother, than a physician to assist you with this.." "I've dealt with this for years," she sighed suddenly, lifting a hand to pat his cheek sarcastically, "Is it so hard to believe that I'd be able to handle this.." "Family isn't supposed to leave a member in pain if they can help it," Tsubaki exclaimed. "He's right, Imouto-chan," Kaname moved behind her, placing an arm around her waist, but when she failed to react, he pet her hair as well, "You cannot shoulder such demons on your own.

She snorted suddenly, a hand raising to cover her mouth in surprise. That wording… She chuckled a little at that, the sound slowly rising until it was full-blown laughter, doubling over into Kaname's arm as she felt tears stream her eyes, "Oh-Oh God-! The way you just said it-!"

She let another long peal of laughter leave her lips, "Irony.." she giggled under her breath, limp in his hold. She was suddenly distinctly aware that her hands were empty, and she snapped her gaze to Masaomi, who rescued her glass of milk before she could drop it.

"Can I please have that..?" she asked quietly, pouting as she put her hands in a begging position. Kaname still help her upright, so she quickly ducked out of his hold, popping up beside Masaomi with a puppy-like look, "Pretty please..?" she glanced away with a grimace, before returning her gaze to him with another pout, "If you do, I'll meet with you for a check-up or whatever.." Her tone suddenly turned weak as she lifted her hands to cover her eyes, "Milk is a lifeline.."

She felt the cool glass against the back of her hand, and she looked up in surprise, before taking the glass with a grin. "Thank you.." she took a long, satisfying gulp, before licking her lips with a happy, "Alright.. When do we want to do this.. I promised several favors to Juli and he's getting antsy over there.."

"Tomorrow morning I will have a shift at the pediatric ward, but I will be home at four," he stated calmly, meeting her eyes with a practiced, business-like quality, "This is merely to make living here more comfortable.. Please do not force yourself.." "Nah," she waved him off idly, lifting her cup and sighing in bliss, "I'd do just about anything for milk and sweets.." "I'll keep that in mind, Imouto-chan.." Kaname smiled, and she looked up at his near purr. The innuendo went soaring over her head spectacularly, and she turned her blank expression to Tsubaki, who was now holding her in a tight hug. "Need.. air.."

* * *

Natasha spent the majority of her agony days in her room, studying for no other reason than to stave off boredom. In an effort to be useful, she took the time to write multiple packets of study guides for Yusuke, carefully explaining criteria she suspected he wouldn't understand and providing easy tips to remember such facts. Things like annotations or analogies.

Arrow was more.. Pestery.. Than usual.. Often appearing in the room without notice, either reading from his disappearing and reappearing scroll in silence or simply staring at her with a silent, dark, contemplative expression. It really didn't suit his fashion sense. While he looked like a frilly marshmallow, but he acted like an emo preteen. Cue fearful shudder..

"Hey.." she called suddenly, startling Juli, who was napping on her shoulder. He immediately jumped into action, asking if she was in pain or needed medicine.. "Arrow.." she called calmly, and the angel blinked at her once before he disappeared from existence on her bed, appearing at her side with a worn, dull expression. "What is it?" he asked, seeing as she wasn't going to start the conversation. She reached into the drawer of her desk, pulling out a bag of chocolate truffles, offering it to him with a frown, "Unless you found your cocoa fix elsewhere, I made sure to bring you chocolate.." at his tired, apprehensive smile, she narrowed his eyes as he reached for the bag, taking it almost reverently before slumping to the floor, leaning his back against the wall of her closet as he unwrapped the decorative foils and popped one into his mouth, taking slow, savory chews. She watched him for a minute, before she sighed, putting Juli on the desk before she crawled onto the floor beside him, putting her hands on her knees as she curled up beside him, her head slumping to rest on his shoulder as she sighed.

"You know something."

Her statement made him flinch, and she closed her eyes, feeling something big and soft curl around her, cradling her into the blonde's side, protecting her from an invisible enemy. "It's fine.." He was silent at her words, his emerald orbs drifting down to see her peaceful expression. "I understand if you think that it's dangerous for me to know, but.." she was quiet for a moment, and she felt his white leather gloves combing through her hair soothingly, absently. "I pulled an excuse out of my ass for that," she murmured, and he held back a grunt at her poor wording. "Not only is Masaomi checking up on me every god-" the tug at her hair had her pausing, and she sent him a glare, enunciating it slowly just to piss him off, " _God. Damned. Day_." His eye twitched, and she felt him karate chop her head lightly. " _Itai-!"_ She sat up with a whine, lifting her hands to cradle the target with a pout as his wings dissolved in the air, "Touchy.."

Arrow heaved a slow, pained sigh as he leaned back against the closet, tilting his head back until he was facing the ceiling, closing his yes with a deep breath. "Do you recall the story of Lucifer's betrayal in the biblical testimony?" "Lucifer felt he/she could run the planes of existence better than God so He/she took he/she's angels in an effort to create a new order.. God didn't like that, so he/she banished Lucifer and he/she'd followers to a separate plane of existence known as Hades, or, more commonly, hell.."

"You recall the fact that angels had willingly joined him?" he murmured, and she hummed an affirmative, before her eyes snapped open, and she bolted to her knees, rounding on him and gripping the white lapels of his tailcoat sharply, shaking him back and forth rapidly, "So help me god-! You better not be thinking of switching over without telling me, Arrow-!" "I'm not-!" he snapped, catching her hands, his expression surprised and startled as he held her hands still, his usually slicked back golden blonde hair falling into his eyes and lifting from his head at improper intervals. "Why in the world would I do that?!" "You've been acting like a preteen-!" she snapped, smacking him upside the head before she collapsed in his lap, curling up like a feline as she pouted, "You're a jackass-! You've been sulking and depressed, and you're scaring the hell out of me.."

"If only it were that simple," he scoffed, and she snapped her eyes at him sharply. He swallowed at the suddenly look, lifting a gloved hand to adjust the golden strands she had disheveled in her shaking. "Let me start off by saying that is in no way implies that an ending result is negative.."

"Spit it out," Juli suddenly joined into the conversation, and Natasha flinched, remembering that he was here. Arrow sighed, resigned, before giving sharp look to Juli, "You must swear this knowledge to your grave, Juli," he sounded serious, and Natasha had to resist the urge to shudder. "If _any_ of those boys were to find out about this.. Natasha would be put into far greater harm.. It would be much more troublesome if she were placed somewhere.. Mentally compromising.." "

"Just tell me-!" he demanded sharply, hopping into the angel's lap and tugging at a long golden lock in irritation, "What is wrong with Chii?!"

* * *

 **I think I'll leave it here...**

 **Natasha: do you thrive on putting me into dangerous situations..? It feels like you do...**

 **Maaaayyyybbeeeeeee...**

 **Natasha: *heavy sigh* Author-chan does not own Brothers Conflict or existing products, she does however, own myself, her original Characters, and her original products/ideas.**

 **Any use of my creations must be gone through with me-!**

 **Natasha: Rate and Review, please and thank you.**


	11. Chapter 3: part 4

"So.. let me get this straight.." the white haired female was sitting cross-legged on the carpet in front of Arrow, who was on his knees in a position similar to a man at prayer, minus the folded hands, "I'm _not_ crazy.." She'd clasped her fingers together beneath her chin, her eyes narrowed as she soaked in what was the longest explanation someone could fit into three hours and twelve minutes. Arrow had been vague through many bits of it, but at the point that he'd discovered her sketch of the darker Arrow-look-alike male, he'd been a bit more specific.

"Is that _all_ you've gotten from this?" the blonde sounded exasperated, but Juli was cuddled into her neck, his usually spunky attitude brought low enough to be considered despair. She ignored him, minus her petting fingers, so she could give Arrow a firm look, "I understand a bit.. You were really vague for a while, there.." At his guilty look, she sighed, moving to press her hand over the sketchbook that contained the likeness of the man that had seared a _fucking tracking seal_ into her _mother-fucking-writing-hand._. "The.. thing.. In my head.. Is a demonic spirit.. That much I knew, but.." "A demonic _guide_ ," Arrow corrected her, disgust clear in his voice as he grimaced towards her off-put expression, "Similar to myself, minus the divine intentions.." "So.." she murmured, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration, "I'm being protected on both ends of this little heaven-hell spat..?" "Not quite," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exhaustion, "There will come a day, in which you'll have to choose one.." "Pardon?" she repeated, her face nearly as dubious as her tone, "Aren't I already past the whole 'seek divine judgement' stage..? I can't die again.." She hesitated, before a sliver of worry entered what was meant to be an indifferent jest, "C.. Can I..?"

"Not in the sense that you think.." he huffed, reaching into his jacket, and pulling something that looked eerily like a dagger. This one was pure silver, shining and reflective, but with a curves handle and an elegantly jagged edge. "These can release a spirit from the living world.. Either sending them up, down, or tossing them.. _There._." He'd explained earlier how 'Limbo' (he'd skirted around the name like a pansy to a spider), even saying the name, was taboo among angels and demons alike. Limbo was the endless waiting void with one entrance, and no exit. No exceptions.

"To what extent must it be used?" She asked calmly, "Any touch? Heart? Brain?"

"Any fatal point, similar to a human's," he shook his head at her, her curiosity for how angels and demons became destined to their own consultants and how hers was an accident, pretty disarming. To think, she was stuck with a demon because they were stalking her and they were bored.. The only other option, he had stated tersely, was that the order came from a superior demon. Motives for which they could only guess. "However, it isn't always that simple.. Often demons will lock their hearts into other places or objects.. Unless their pride overrides their fears of death.. Then they will keep it in their chest.. Or hide it secretly.."

"Paranoia?" She asked. He scoffed, "Arrogance.. Angels are forbidden from hiding their existential hearts.. It's a matter of principal.. If you don't have the divinity to be able to protect it, stay out of situations that would cause you harm.." "Say they hide a heart," she grimaced at him, opening the book to find the sketch, "How do you find it?" "Seeing as it's a removable item," he sighed, "It must be within a mile of their person, or they feel side effects.." "Have hearts been stolen before?" she asked curiously. "Yes," he rolled his eyes, "Get all of your questions about decease and pain out of your system.."

"What are the side effects?"

"Dizziness, nausea, extreme depression, suicidal thoughts.."

"So kind of like dousing them with funky medicine," she nodded, "What's the easiest way to see where a demon's heart is hidden?"

He shook his head, pulling at his hair with one hand as he decided how to answer, "There is none.." She pursed her lips in silence, before giving him a narrow-eyed look, "You're sure..?"

"Yes.." He scoffed, giving her a suspicious glare, "What's with that look..?"

She raised a hand up in silence, tilting her head in thought, "What if.. Hypothetically.. I _Created_ a piece of jewelry that could see the aura of a demon's heart?"

He blinked his eyes slowly, pure silence filling the room for several, long moments, before he lifted a hand to cover his eyes, and he lowered his head in aggravation.

"What?" she sounded affronted and embarrassed, cheeks turning pink as she looked away with a pout, "At least consider it.." "I am.." he muttered darkly, leaning his head back against the closet, before beginning to lightly pound it in annoyance. She watched him in polite silence until he slouched against the doorframe, before he groaned, sitting up with a huff before he moved to his feet. "Wait- where are you going?" she demanded, scrambling up to her feet to catch his sleeve, "I have more questions-! And more ideas-!" He pointed to her ring with an expression of seriousness that made her spine freeze, "I'll answer through the ring.." He was gone in a flash of white, and she lifted her hand to cover her eyes, spitting away a small cream-colored feather before she tossed it in the tiny black trash can near her desk.

No sooner had she slumped into the desk chair, did a knock sound at her door. She paused in curiosity, lifting her head from her folded arms to raise an eyebrow. "Who is it?"

"Louis."

She had scrambled to her feet a second later, Juli on her shoulder as she moved to open the door. He was being a lot more quiet, now, and she was worried. "You okay, Juli?" she asked softly, opening the door with a smile, "Hey Louis-nii."

"I'm fine, Chii-! You need to be more concerned with yourself," Juli murmured, clinging to her neck for comfort, before nearly springing to his feet in renewed vigor, "This only means I'll have to work harder to protect you from the wolves-!" "Chii-chan.." Louis offered quietly, holding out a hand gently, "Are you up to.. Eating with us..?"

As far as they knew, she was locking herself in her room to avoid embarrassing situations, but if she were to decline eating downstairs, one of the brothers would bring her food without a word and leave before she got to the door to find out. Couldn't have been Wataru, she had mused, considering he would try to see if she was alright and be certain that she actually eats.

"You know what?" she murmured, realizing that it was the fourth and last day, so she smiled, nodding, "Alright.. Just give me a minute to change.." He tilted his head, confused, as he trailed his eyes down, and she resisted the urge to blush.. As futile as that was, anyway..

Her off the shoulder grey shirt sported the black strap of her bra, and her black yoga pants clung to her legs like a second skin, fuzzy black socks making her tiny feet look ridiculous. "You look.. Fine.." he murmured. Deciding not to argue, she sighed, nodding as she pressed a hand to her chest, feeling both her phone in there, as well as an emergency pen. She always had a pen on hand.

She followed Louis out of the room quietly, listening to Juli practically hiss at every object that wasn't Louis as he hopped down to trail behind her, the way Louis was in front of her, pulling her along by her hand, and Juli trailing behind, making it look like some royal expedition. Her hoodie was currently over the back of her desk chair, and she was feeling suddenly vulnerable as Louis lead her into the elevator, not releasing her hand, even for the minute of waiting, before the doors opened again, and he gently lead her toward the living room. They passed Futo on the way, who was reading over what looked like a blue-covered script, and she ignored him, moving to clasp Louis hand tighter as he helped her into a chair, thanking him softly as he pressed her chair in, and she glanced up around the quietly murmuring turned silent table.

It was thick with tension, before Masaomi cleared his throat. Looking around the brothers there, Futo was in the living room, ignoring mankind's existence. Louis was seated beside Natasha, Tsubaki across from her and Azuza beside him. Kaname as at work, Ukyo in the kitchen, Iori was in the garden, now- just walking into wash his hands. Said slate-haired male took a double-take at the female at the table, but didn't question it, moving to wash his hands. Wataru had scampered off to wash his own, and had passed him on the way in, looking almost depressed. When his eyes found Natasha, however, his feet had paused, his eyes lit up, and he was running.

Natasha felt a weight crash into her side, and she clutched the table to avoid falling as she looked down incredulously to see Wataru squeezing the life out of her abdomen, his face buried deeply in her chest as he spoke, "Onee-chan-Onee-chan-! You're all better-!" She smiled awkwardly when she heard Tsubaki's displeased sounding grunt, glancing over to see him pouting at where Wataru was nuzzling. With a slight smile, she pat his head, before ushering him into the seat beside her, "Yes I am, now you should get up there to eat." "Yes, Onee-chan-!" he chirped, hurrying up to plop in his seat, his hands reaching up to pull her right one into both of his, while Louis held firm on her other one. She vaguely wondered how she was going to eat, but a throat being cleared sent her thoughts off track. She glanced up to see Masaomi, who was giving her a slight smile, "Are you feeling better..?" "Mhmm," she nodded slightly, turning her head to send Tsubaki a raised eyebrow look, smirking slightly, "Am I upsetting you, Tsubaki-san?"

He blinked back to reality at that, sitting up straighter as he gave her a sheepish look, "What- I'm sorry, lost in thought.."

"Don't worry about it, Natasha-chan," Azuza smiled at her consolingly, "He's just jealous of Wataru." "Of course I am~!" the silver haired male chimed, holding his chest as if shot, the other hand pressed theatrically to his brow, "Wataru-chan and Louis-nii get to hold onto our little imouto-chan's hands~!" "Louis lead me here and Wataru is cute," she offered calmly, ignoring his whine of injustice, "No fair~!"

Ukyo finished setting out the meal, and as he sat, he and Natasha shared a polite smile.

"Itadakimasu-!"

Her hands were released to eat, and she sighed in relief, savoring the aroma of her food gently as Masaomi glanced back at the living room in disapproval, "Futo-kun," he called, and Natasha paused with her chopsticks halfway up from her plate so she could pay attention, the others already digging into the meal to avoid conversation. "Are you sure you don't want anything..?"

"Not hungry," he waved him off dismissively. Natasha scoffed, and he glanced over, his chocolate eyes narrowed in suspicion as she smirked, "Well I suppose that's better than listening to your insults for half an hour.."

He twitched at that, lowering his book ever so slightly as she sent a quick, subtle wink to Masaomi, her face lighting up with a mocking smile as she made a show of enjoying her food, sending Futo's now annoyed look a taunting smirk as she smiled around a bowl of food. "Mmm.. Ukyo's beef stew~!"

He was in his chair within the next few moments, the place already set for him, and Natasha took his few moments of adjusting his seat to grin at Masaomi, who smiled in appreciation.

And dinner actually happened without tension, this time..

* * *

It had been another two weeks since that day, and Natasha was mentally preparing for exams. She had also started making hand copies of the study guides, having given them to Yusuke the night after the dinner. He'd thanked her profusely at it, having complained about the curriculum being vague and hard to understand sometimes, but with the notes, and a bit of verbal explanation, she helped him get caught up. She'd also been roped into making notes for a few of their classmates, in exchange for coffee and sweets.. _God what she did for coffee, milk and sweets.._

She let her pen roll onto the desk with a sigh, signing the cover and putting the person's name in the top right corner so she knew who to give them to. The only reason anyone even found out about her note-making skills was because Yusuke went from thirty-third mark out of forty eight to eighteenth mark. And if that wasn't a miracle, the sensei didn't know what was. She had even _almost_ been roped into tutoring her kouhais and classmates after school and on weekends, but she'd put her foot down, there.. Mainly because she explained the responsibility of caring for a pet squirrel.. Heheh.. Oh, the look of those who believe they are more sane than you..

She stretched her arms above her head in a yawn, feeling an overwhelming urge that something was gonna happen, soon. She frowned as she stood, cold air biting her arms and shoulders as she put on her slippers and moved to the door. She glanced back at Juli to see him nut drunk on her bed, a half-eaten acorn near his face as he snored loudly on her pillow. She left the room with a smile, intent on making some epic hot chocolate.. _Mmmm.. Chocolate..._

Her hair was tied loosely at her neck, and she was drying her hands, the water on the stove boiling as she started to chop up the chocolate. She hummed softly to herself as she worked, 14 to 1 stuck in her head as she continued to mince.

"Huh?" she paused at the sound of surprise from behind her, lifting the cutting board to swipe the chocolate into the pot on the stove before setting it down and turning to face the entry. Ukyo stood there in surprise, his expression gentle as she offered him a polite smile. "I had no idea you were still awake." She wiped her hands on a towel as she greeted him, "Hey."

"Studying?" he asked, a polite curiosity in his tone. She yawned a little, bet recovered enough to nod, "Yeah.. I'm working on study guides right now.. I was hoping hot chocolate would wake me up.."

"Ah," he smiled, moving to walk further into the kitchen, "Carry on.." "Aye, Cap'n," she saluted to him with two fingers, before turning to stir the mixture as she added sugar and cream.

"It brings back memories.." he sighed, and she smiled a little, stirring one way, and then switching to another, "Waking up in the middle of the night?" "Mm," he nodded, and she heard the rustling a fabric behind her before something warm was on her shoulders, "making a late snack so I could study.. But," he continued as she turned off the heat, lifting her head to glance back at him, "above all else, the most important thing is to watch your health.." She was briefly entranced by his ridiculously blue eyes as she watched him, seeing his mouth move, but internally shaking it off to catch "-oming up soon, so you mustn't catch a cold." "Thank you," she smiled, flushing a little as she reached up to rub her neck, "For the coat and the worry.." she paused, as if in thought, before she grinned, "Hey.. I'm not the only one who still uses that word.."

"Mm?" he tilted his head a little at that, and she closed her eyes with a chuckle, "Mustn't.." she elaborated, lifting her hands as if to punctuate the formality, "I was often accused as a child that I was grown with an eighteenth century vocabulary.." The sound of footsteps filled the kitchen, and she looked to her left, where a new person stood. She had long, auburn red hair, pale, flawless skin, shiny black heels, a maroon dress, a black half jacket with a fuzzy hood, and pearl necklaces. Her makeup was done to perfection, she had the same, honey beige eyes as several of the brothers, and Natasha instantly knew who it was, though she held the act of confusion to perfection. That is, until there were arms around her, hugging her to an air-chilled body.

She jerked in surprise, nearly jumping through the air as she held still, biting her lip after the sound that resembled a kicked puppy, face burning in mortification. "I've been _dying_ to meet you," the 'woman' whispered into her hair, hugging her tighter. Natasha kept her wide, startled eyes trained on Ukyo, said blonde running a hand over his face as he sighed. He pulled back after another moment, and Natasha caught her breath slightly, folding her arms around her torso as she adjusted her weight, meeting the gorgeous 'woman's eyes when she smiled.

"Nice to meet you," the newcomer smiled, "I'm Hikaru.. I'm the fourth son of the Asahina family." She kept her face blank for that, eyes blinking dubiously as she resisted, and, with a prod from her now-identified demon counterpart, failed. "No offense," she finally felt the filter switch off as she kept his eyes, Hikaru's face looking curious as she lifted a hand to her neck, "You have more female sex appeal than about half this country.. I'm a little.." She closed her eyes to find the word, before snapping, "-timorous-! That's it." Hikaru laughed at that, a perfectly manicured hand on his stomach, while Ukyo sighed, "In spite of the way he is dressed, Hikaru is a man through and through.." Hikaru finally calmed a little, still chuckling as he held out a polite hand to her. "I look forward to getting to know you, Imouto-chan~"

Natasha took his hand, relaxed now as she shook it politely, "And I, you, Hikaru-kun.."

Ukyo had politely waited for her to finish talking before he voiced his irritation, eyeing Hikaru with obvious disapproval, "I swear.. What is the meaning of this.. Showing up so late at night.." He scoffed, "When did you even return to Japan?" "Oh~" Hikaru teased good naturedly, "Did you miss me that badly?" He smiled at Ukyo's miffed expression, before he turned to Natasha gently, "The truth is, I was asked to do a favor." He pulled a box out of the shopping bag he was holding, pressing it into her arms before she could speak, "To deliver this to you." "Wait, what..?" she tried to ask, but the undeniable curiosity ate at her brain to at least peak. "A package sent with love.." he winked. Natasha wanted to open it badly, but she pressed the urge away, giving Hikaru a smile, "Thank you, Hikaru-san.." "Oh," Hikaru cooed, reaching forward to hug her again, "Call me Aniki.."

She blushed a little at that, before she giggled, "Alright, Aniki.." For some reason, when he was toying around like this, it seemed like comic relief compared to the usual stress of calling everyone that..

"Well," Natasha set the box on the counter, before retrieving three mugs from the cupboard, then clapping her hands once, "Who wants homemade hot chocolate?"

"Ooh~!" Hikaru giggled, raising his hand brightly, "With the cold air, that seems perfect!" "Thank you," Ukyo smiled, offering to help her pour, but she politely declined, filling the three mugs carefully before adding whip cream and chocolate shavings. She handed them the mugs, before grinning to sip her own, sighing happily as they thanked her for the brew, and took calming sips of their own. Natasha took some time to ask Hikaru some questions, finding out that he still had business out in Italy, and would be heading back tomorrow morning, but she would see him again for the wedding. He liked shopping, and mani-pedis, but admit that he did his own eyebrows. Natasha found out his favorite color was green, and he was a writer that focused on romantic thrillers. If only he knew.. _HA-!_

* * *

Ukyo insisted that he would do the dishes, but she had stayed behind to put them away, and she bid them each a goodnight before she excused herself to finish the study guides. When she had returned to her room, the mystery box in hand, she set it on the floor as she got to her knees, waking Juli as he hopped own to sit beside her. "What's that, Chii?" he asked curiously, watching as she lifted the lid and moved away the protective paper, revealing purple fabric and a black fabric collar with a white lace pattern.

"A dress," she smiled, giddy that it was her favorite color. She reached for the note on top of it, reading it out loud so Juli could hear, as well. "I picked this out with Rintarou.. Thank you for giving me the joy of picking out a dress for a daughter.." She murmured the last part softly, her hands lowering to feel the dress gently. She picked it up to press it to her chest, holding it tight as her eyes closed. Juli watched quietly as she breathed in the scent of the fabric, before carefully placing it in the closet, pressing the clothes on either side of it away so it had no possible way to be wrinkled. She'd gotten into bed a few hours later, setting the finished products of her attention into her bag before she collapsed onto her bed, barely hitting the pillow before she was out cold.

* * *

 **Enter: Hikaru-nii-chan**

 **Natasha: *nods slowly* Well he _does_ have class...**

 **Damn straight.**

 **Natasha: He pulls off dresses better than we do...**

 **Mhmm.**

 **Natasha: I mean, I can't even wear a skirt without fabric on my legs, but this is just past the point of envy..**

 _ **How does he do this?!**_

 **I'm jealous of his hair though.. Too perfect..**

 **Anyone else...?**

 **On the plus side...**

 **ANYONE WANT TO GUESS WHICH BROTHER IS GETTING A FEATURE EPISODE NEXT CHAPTER?!**


	12. Chapter 3: part 5

"Hello again, love.."

Natasha clutched at the white dress on her body, her ability to create ignoring her pleas to have pants on.. _And a bra, apparently_.. She flinched at the sound of the deep, silk-like voice, turning on her heel and walking in a new direction.

Not that it even mattered, this entire place was a black void of nothingness.

The voice echoed around her again, and she stopped in her tracks stubbornly, listening to his laughter drift around her. "What do you want?!" She called irritably. The laughter died down substantially, but she could hear a smile in his voice. "Now, now, love.. That's a tad rude, don't you think.." "Give me a reason to care?" she scoffed, glad that Arrow had assured her that there was absolutely nothing he could do to physically hurt her in this place. The seal, she had discovered, was the extent he could do. And since he already put one, there was nothing left for him to try. "I'm still pissed about you wounding my writing hand, jackass.."

He paused at that, before she heard long, uninterrupted peals of laughter. She couldn't feel the usual, warm presence in the back of her mind, but she just assumed so, since he had taken her consciousness and connected it to some twisted void-place. "What. Do. You. Want?" she repeated slowly, and felt hot breath at the nape of her neck briefly before her fist went flying. She'd briefly seen the face of a male before it disappeared at the touch of her fist, disintegrating into pools of black shadows.

Laughter filled the room, and she backed away from the spot he had been, eyes glaring into the darkness, before she hit something hard behind her. A pair of arms reached forward and around her, trapping her there. Her elbow flew back to make contact, but the arms, and the body, disappeared again, in a similar fashion. With a huff, she ground her teeth, fisting both hands at her side as she rolled her eyes, "Why not try talking face to face with me before I spend the entire night beating you for sexual harassment.."

She watched as shadows pooled at the floor just ten feet or so in front of her, and she sighed, watching as they lifted in a cyclone of darkness, taller than her by a about eighteen inches to a two feet. The shadows disappeared, revealing a man that looked almost exactly like Arrow, only just a tad taller, with raven locks, and paler skin. He also had on an outfit that consisted of black silk pants, an open collared white shirt, and a black, torn blazer. There were chains hanging at his hips and pockets, and a barrage of metal necklaces around his throat and falling on his chest, the most prominent of which was what looked like a studded dog collar around his neck. He had a similar set of rings to Arrow, only his were more black metal than gold, with a number of iron ones with strange symbols.

He bowed mockingly at the waist, a more sarcastic greeting than the honest one Arrow had given her. His piercing red eyes met hers, and she withheld the urge to shudder. Those eyes were deep and dark, and she did _not_ need to see anymore gore, tonight.. Zombie games already filled her quota.

"My name is Bao," he smiled, and she giggled a little at that. He frowned at her amusement, sighing as he stood straighter. "Get it out of your system.." _They even sound similar.. Bao and Arrow_.. She smiled a little at him as she released her amusement in a sigh, giving him a calm look, "Alright.. Bao.." she shifted her weight on her feet, before she gave him a calm look, "Why am I here?"

"Aah," he smiled, giving her the chills, "Because I summoned you, of course.."

"Can I have my pants back?"

He looked surprised at the bluntness in her tone, before he chuckled, tilting his head, "I don't see anything wrong with the outfit you're wearing.."

"You're annoying," she narrowed her eyes, turning on her heel a final time and beginning to walk, "Screw this.. I'll find my own way out.."

He materialized inches in front of her just as she made it five feet, halting her in her tracks. "Now, now," he smiled placatingly, and she shot him a dirty look, "Let's not be hasty.. We have an eternity.." "Uh, no.." she shook her head slowly, as if speaking to a toddler, "I have an hour before I have to get up and make bentos for lunch.." "Aah," he laughed again, and she was seriously tempted to rip out his throat to never hear it again. "For those little.. _Boys_.." he emphasized the word tauntingly as she grit her teeth, "that you call your family..? You know better, don't you..?" "About what?" she hissed, bare toes curling in fury as she kept her tone cool. "They aren't your real family," he tut his tongue in disapproval, "taking over another person's life.. Just for the pleasure of having a caring one.." he smiled innocently at her expression of cold indifference, "Maybe a little too caring.."

"Go to hell," she spun on her heel to leave, but immediately crashed into his chest, looking back over her shoulder to see him gone from his previous spot, before she glared up at him, "What _possible_ reason do you have to bring me here?" "First off," he held up one finger as he held her waist in his other hand, listing off with a contemplative tone, "I've already been.. Live there, actually.. Not a bad view.." "Enjoy watching the eternal suffering of others?" she scoffed. He smirked, ignoring the jab with ease before continuing, "And second.. to put it, simply.. You have something I want.. Several things, to be precise.." "And they would be?" she scoffed, humorlessly.

" _Travel_.." he whispered quietly, and he felt her heart stutter for a minute as she turned face of surprise to him, too stunned to mask it as his husky words made it to her ears, " _Creation.. .. **Choice**.._ " The emphasis put on 'choice' had a chill running up her spine. She frowned a him slightly, tilting her head away as she tried to step back, only to have a bright green glow light up behind her, a crumbling sound reaching her ears as she turned around quickly, staring at a large, acid-filled chasm of glowing green poison. She backed away from the crumbling edge, nearly bolting as she turned to run, Bao's arms wrapping around her form carefully when she'd once again face-planted into his chest. She held herself there for a moment as she watched a tar-soaked skeleton peak over the edge of the chasm, charred bones clicking as they watched her, took one glance at the being holding her, before disappearing beneath the edge once more.

She trembled against his chest in silence, her breathing shaky as she fisted her hands in his shirt, his scent, of smoky bonfires and bitter cigarette smoke, filled her nose. She gulped softly as she felt his fingers trace through her hair, and her arm swung up to swat his away. While he kept a hold of her waist, he respected her wish to avoid her hair, instead running his hands along the small of her back gently. "Are you alright..?"

"Say that I actually _decided_ to give you these?" she murmured, and his ears perked up in delight at her horrified tone, "What would you do with them..?"

"There's a war brewing between the attic and the basement," he smiled, his tone much more polite and easygoing now that she was playing to his cards, "You're merely an undecided factor with an infinite amount of ability to turn the tables.."

"Why can't I use my gifts here?" she asked quietly, looking down at her hands pressed between them. "You're frozen," he scoffed, shaking his head, "This void's sole purpose is to keep your powers sealed and your thoughts scattered.." "I'm _focused_ ," she couldn't help but deny, giving him an annoyed look, to which he rolled his eyes, lifting up her left hand by the wrist, displaying the golden ring with the emerald stone. "This would be why.."

"Arrow.." the murmur left her lips without thought, and she blinked in surprise, feeling a shock run along her hand. However, where Bao was touching her skin, a bright, green electric current attacked his hand, and he released her with a hiss, clutching his hand as a lime green lighting pattern painted across his hand. He tut his tongue in annoyance, before she huffed, holding the hand with the ring closer to her body as she looked in wonder down at the trinket. "Do not say that pitiful whelps name in my presence," he scoffed, licking at the wound with his tongue like a cat would.. Or a dog.. A wild dog with fangs, and-.. "Arrow," she repeated, louder this time. She felt another buzz of energy run through her hand, this time covering her entire arm, before disappearing. She looked up to see Bao, one eye glaring at her and the other closed casually, "He's not strong enough to take you back.." "No.." she murmured, but a thought came to her, and she hid her smile, lifting a hand to wipe at her forehead, as if in fatigue, "I guess my powers really don't work here.." He'd learned his lesson not to touch her, but that didn't mean he was going to let the opportunity pass by.

"Are you really going to follow a man who cares so little for the humans He created on a whim?" Bao asked gently, as if he were exhausted and trying to get her to see reason.

"Hell no."

He snapped his eyes to her in surprise, her blunt answer and indifferent face putting him on the spot. "..Pardon?" "I'm not going to follow God, if he or she decides to give me a reason to, I might consider.. Just like you.." she gave him a patient look, though he could see the irritation in her eyes, "I told you to give me a reason to believe in you.. You chose to sexually harass me.. Your chances aren't looking very good.. While _I_.." she trailed off confidently as she started to walk around him in a circle, her head level and her tone cool, "..have no intention of picking either of your 'causes'.. I told Arrow the same.." his name passed her lips in a calm manner, and a pulse shot over her body, spreading to her chest and neck, now. Just a few more nudges. "You see," she was in his line of sight again, and reached up to fix the lapels of his shirt, buttoning it up properly while he stared at her in a mixture of confusion and suspicion.. "I never have believed in either God or Satan.. Not really.. They're not physical presences in my everyday life.. They don't help make my life better, nor do they contribute to my personal successes. Saying that I should worship God for creating me is like saying I should worship my mother for giving birth to me.. It's stupid."

"Wise words.." he admit after she'd straightened the jacket, moving to circle him once more, "Now, Arrow," she started again, her voice smooth and indifferent to the slight pain that now spread to her knees. Once more should do it, "You see.. He tried getting me to start following god.." "Oh," Bao wasn't surprised, though he held himself in check as she began straightening out his shirt and tucking the strands into his belt, "Is that so..?" "Mhmm.. but," she trailed her hands along his shoulders to fix the creases as she strode in front of him, lifting her hands to part his bangs before trailing her fingers through the strands, "There's just one thing.. That I could never tell him.."

"And what.." he murmured, her face just inches from his as she stood on her tiptoes to reach his hair, moving and styling the strands to her delight, "Would that be..?"

"No matter what I do.." she met his eyes calmly, and he saw a spark of defiance as her hand fisted the strands, tugging so he was forced to face her completely, though it was near impossible for him to feel pain at this point. "No matter what happens.. No matter the mistakes I will make along my chosen paths.. Arrow will _always_ be there to help me grow up.."

The ring responded immediately, and she felt her entire body buzz. She had only half a second before it ended, and she made it worth it. She felt herself being thrown into a bright blue tunnel, air streaming around her as she closed her eyes. She turned her head to look down, and as she reached the end, she felt consciousness fade, then flicker, before she regained her senses. She was lying between a pair of white-clad legs, her back pressed against soft satin and a chin atop her head, white gloves on the bed while warm fingers stroked her hair and arms. She sat up quickly with a yelp, scrambling out of the bed and running her fingers through her hair to get rid of the touch aversion, sighing with relief as she collapsed onto the rug, face-first. Arrow was behind her in a second, shaking her shoulders insistently

"Natasha-?!" He called, Juli hopping onto her shoulder and shaking with him, "Chii-!"

"MMphmmmph.."

They paused as she said that, a single hand coming up to reach for the desk weakly. "Chmmphmph.." Arrow opened the bottom drawer, watching as she suck her hand inside, pulling out a handful of kisses, her fingers fumbled to tear off the cellophane, before she popped one after the other into her mouth. She chewed in silence before she sighed, throwing the garbage away before she licked her lips, sitting up to lean against the desk with a murmur. "So tired.."

"Are you alright..?" Arrow asked gently. "Chii~!" Juli cried nuzzling into her neck, "What happened..?!"

"Bao summoned me to a void and interrogated me.." she muttered, scratching Juli's fur and ignoring Arrow's sharp inhale. He'd never said precisely who the person was, but she'd already put the pieces together. "So what's the story there?" she gave Arrow a patient look as she stroked Juli's fur, "He didn't hurt me.. quite the contrary.. I gave _him_ quite a few _shocks_.."

"He's a.. former angel, who had turned to follow Lucifer," Arrow spoke after a full minute of silence, leaning back against the closet door with a huff, his expression pained, "Also what humans would call.. A brother.. To me.." "Alright," she sighed, and he glanced over as she stood, pulling another two bars of chocolate out of the drawer, holding one out for him as she looked away, "I'm not pushing it."

He hesitated, before he accepted the offering, tearing the paper gently as she did the same with hers, before getting ready for the day.

"I need to go get a wedding gift for papa and Miwa after school," she sighed, packing a spare set of clothes into her school bag, as well as making sure the study guides were correctly placed and that she had her phone, wallet, and charger on her before she moved to get in her uniform, the flesh colored leggings a comfort after the pantsless dress experience.

* * *

She hurried downstairs after checking the time, sighing in relief that she was a good twenty minutes before she usually started the bentos.

It took her nearly an hour to finish all of the bentos, and she made sure each one had a chibi animal on them. Masaomi's was obviously a bunny. Ukyo got a shark. (smirk it up.) Kaname got a monkey. Tsubaki got a flamingo. Azuza got a robin. Louis got a kitten. She just had to.. Subaru got a duck. Iori got a mouse. Yusuke got a lion. Futo got an elegantly crafted donkey. (XD) and Wataru got a sweet little bear. She made a panda for herself, and wrapped them in color coordinated wraps she had given them each an indication of in the schedule chart via markers and stickers. She was just putting away the last of the dishes when she heard footsteps, looking up to see Masaomi and Futo talking quietly. Usually, by this time, she was back in her room, so it came as a surprise to find her writing out a note of her late-coming home.

"Good morning," she smiled, waving them over as she picked out first the purple for Masaomi and the peach colored for Futo, handing both to them respectively. "Thank you, Imouto," the taller male smiled, patting her head as he moved to get an apple from the bowl on the counter. "No problem," she shot him a dazzling smile as she skipped around the room to put away the rest of the dishes, listening to Futo huff sharply as he waited for Masaomi to finish, most likely to get a ride to the agency. While he didn't show it, ever, the idol did like to spend time with his family.. Even if it meant teasing the hell out of Yusuke..

"Are you always this energetic in the mornings, or is it a special occasion?" Futo asked with a polite tone, due to Masaomi just feet away, but his expression was annoyed. "Special occasion," she smiled soothingly, not rising to the bait as she worked to peel a banana, ignoring Futo's glare as he waited for a response, and not getting one, rolled his eyes, resuming trying to burn a hole into her forehead while Masaomi moved to get a mug of already made coffee, pausing to read the bright blue sticky note she had put on the microwave.

"You're going out after school, Natasha-chan?" he asked curiously, and she nodded, raising her banana idly as she shrugged her shoulders, "I already told Ukyo about it.. I just left a note in case he would forget." "What, you've got a date?" Futo teased, her secretive smile making his eyes harden as he glared, "Are you serious?"

"Hey." she held up her hands innocently as she moved to toss the peel away, "I didn't say anything.." She felt Futo's eyes drilling into her back as she threw it in the trash bin beneath the sink, before she stood to wash her hands. She giggled a little when Masaomi shook his head, sipping at his coffee, "I better start breakfast," she waved as Masaomi moved to leave, petting her hair on his way out the door. Futo trailed behind at a slower pace, pausing to meet her eyes at the threshold, a small smile on his mouth as she lifted her eyebrow in question. "You're very cocky, you know that?" he muttered. "That's a little like the pot calling the kettle black," she gave him a taunting smile, watching as he rolled his eyes, leaving with the door shutting just a little harder than necessary.

Natasha sighed as she finished changing in the school bathrooms, pulling on a pair of long black slacks, a baby blue tank top and a white button-up, leaving the top three buttons undone to show off the black metal star necklace. She had slipped on a pair of shiny black loafers, transporting the clothes with a simple thought to a box under her bed. It took her a few more seconds to tame her hair with her fingers before she pulled on a black blazer jacket with a felt hood .

Deciding to wander for a while, she headed to the nearest mall, taking deep, calming breaths as she listened to the slowly filling mall as it began crowding with teenagers, some of them not even out of their uniforms yet. She walked around for a time, then decided to cave into her drug for strawberries.. There was a convenient pretzel place about ten feet away… She ordered a strawberry smoothie and stood back to wait for her order, leaning against a display case of pretzels and small baked goods. Looking around the mall for a while, she tried to scope out anything that would be a good idea for a wedding gift, not to mention, what would be a good gift for Ukyo.. his birthday was in a few weeks, as well..

She had been walking around for about an hour at a leisurely pace...

She was too busy moving; trying to avoid a woman with a stroller, to notice a man with coffee stopping abruptly in the center of the aisle to grab his phone. The next thing she knew, there were both hot and cold substances on her body, slightly painful, though and she smelled like vanilla.

"What the-" a new voice reached her ears, and she slowly lifted her hands to wipe the mushy pink drink from her face, flicking it in a trash can conveniently at her hip.

"Are you alright?"

She took another deep breath before she spoke, keeping her voice slow as she did so, "That coffee.. Was hot.." She heard a cough, and not a clear-your-throat-I-swallowed-a-steak type cough, but a I-really-don't-want-to-laugh-and-make-this-person-mad-at-me cough. After a minute of cleaning off the pink slush, she eyed the brown stain against her shirt, tank top and coat, thanking the gods that she'd put her phone and necessities in her bag. It hurt, immensely, but a quick wish to numb the pain receptors for the time being took care of the issue.. She sighed as she looked up, catching sight of an olive green handkerchief and accepting it with a slight smile, grasping it in her fingers before she lifted her eyes. "Thank you.."

 _Oh_ shit...

* * *

 **Last chance to guess~!**


	13. Chapter 3: part 6

"Are you alright?"

She took another deep breath before she spoke, keeping her voice slow as she did so, "That coffee.. Was hot.." She heard a cough, and not a clear-your-throat-I-swallowed-a-steak type cough, but a I-really-don't-want-to-laugh-and-make-this-person-mad-at-me cough. After a minute of cleaning off the pink slush, she eyed the brown stain against her shirt, tank top and coat, thanking the gods that she'd put her phone and necessities in her bag. It hurt, immensely, but a quick wish to numb the pain receptors for the time being took care of the issue.. She sighed as she looked up, catching sight of a grey handkerchief and accepting it with a slight smile, grasping it in her fingers before she lifted her eyes. "Thank you.." her breath trailed off as she looked up at the face of Asahina Natsume, all deep violet eyes, bright pumpkin hair, and his birthmark on his chin, internally smacking herself so she could start wiping her face and neck.

 _Oh shit-shit-shit..._

"I'm very sorry about this," he sighed, running his hand through his hair. He looked like he wanted to help, but there wasn't much he could do..

"It's my fault, too," she waved him off casually, relaxing as she continued to clean off the dripping liquid, "I was carrying a smoothie.. It's a good thing it didn't get you, too.. Err.." she stopped talking as she saw a single drop of strawberry smoothie on his neck, and she hesitated, before reaching up to wipe it away with the cloth. He stilled beneath her touch, but it wasn't even a full second before she pulled back, wringing it out over the trashcan before she tried handing it back again. He shook his head, pressing her hand back with a polite smile, "It's fine, keep it.." "Just in case a latte comes sailing?" she smiled, and they shared a soft laugh. "Can I.. get you another drink..?" he offered, his hand on the back of his neck as he looked down at her. Her clothes were business attire, and he couldn't help but think he interrupted a break. "Oh, no," she chuckled, "I don't even want to look at smoothies for a while.." "How about an apology coffee, then?" he asked, and she smiled slightly, bringing a hand to her chin as she thought it over. Go along with the storyline or fuck shit up..

Oh to hell with it..

"Well.." she trailed off, tapping her chin with her fingers, "Apology coffee _is_ a lot sweeter than regular coffee.." She turned to face him with a smile, and he paused, watching a drop of coffee fall from her eyebrow and down her cheek. His hand went out to catch it on her cheek with his finger, the woman in front of him flushing in surprise, big golden eyes blinking as he swallowed, pulling back. He pulled back quickly, wiping his hand on his coat before he held an arm out toward the direction he'd come from. "Aah, sorry.. Should we..?"

"Thanks," her tone was surprisingly calm as he walked by her side toward a nearby cafe. It was generally a spot for couples, having the main colors being baby pinks, blues and whites. Half of the menu items even being heart shaped with several couple specials a week. However, the coffee was worth the twenty minutes of embarrassment.

"You really don't need to spend the money," Natasha felt the need to point out as they were seated, having realized he wasn't going to let her pitch in, "You lost your coffee, too." And didn't she know it, she was wearing the damn thing.

"And you're wearing it," he smiled slightly, freakishly reading her mind, as he looked over the menu for the show of it, while she did the same, resisting the urge to rip off her shirts and burn them as she plucked the material for emphasis, sighing in defeat. "Speaking of which," he continued, watching as she moved to grab her phone from her back pocket. "I'll also be getting you a new shirt."

"Pardon?" she repeated at that, giving a look that clearly read oh-hell-no. "You're already buying me coffee." "I ruined your shirt," he pointed out, and from the brief look of disgust, she knew it, too, "It's the least I could do." She groaned aloud at that, and he watched as she slumped onto the table, "The _one_ day I didn't bring an extra set of clothes.."

He chuckled at her defeated expression, her face toward the window as her eyes drifted to the people walking by in a sea of consumers, the silence turning strangely comfortable as he relaxed.

"My luck sucks," she finally sighed, sitting up as a waitress passed them their starting waters. "What can I do for you both today?" she was overly hyped on sugar, and flaunting the cleavage of her chest with her low cut shirt, the apron around her neck doing nothing to hide at as she almost completely faced Natsume. Natasha wanted to laugh a little, waiting until the flouncing lady at least twice as old as herself sent her a forced smile. She so _badly_ wanted to laugh at the disgust that flickered across the waitress's face at the sight of the shorter girl's stained clothes, the way she wore her hood up to cover almost her entire forehead, and that.. that all-knowing _smile_.. "What'll it be.. Kid..?" Ooh.. low blow.. Literally.. Doesn't help that she was short..

"I'll have what he's having," she smiled, stretching her arms above her head casually and folding them back to cradle it as she slouched in her seat. She watched Natsume's eyes until the waitress had disappeared from their peripheral, as the waitress, named Candi, she discovered, disappeared behind a counter, presumably to get their orders.

"Is she gone?" Natasha asked quietly, and he gave her a slight, curious nod, before she started shaking, a hand over her mouth as she started laughing. It was soft, and breathy, but it was something Natsume hadn't heard forced in a while. He watched her laugh for a few minutes, before she wiped at her eyes, giving him a grin, "She does _not_ like the way I look.." "Oh?" he furrowed his brow at her curiously, and while he had also made the instant connection, he wanted to know what gave it away for her, "How do you suppose that..? She seemed polite enough.." "Body language," she answered after a minute, "She was standing too straight, her fists were clenched, and her eyes were below mine.. And I'm taking a wild leap and guessing she's not a lesbian.." "And how would you know that..?" he couldn't help but ask as she leaned forward, mimicking his position of one arm on the table, the other slipping beneath her hood.

"Either your oblivious or fucking with me.." she gave him a blank look, and he feigned innocence, raising an eyebrow at her in question as he bit back a smile with ease, "Why would I fuck with you?" he leaned forward a little, his tone casual, "We've only just met.. That seems a little forward, don't you think..?" It took her a second to get what he was implying, before she burst out laughing, her eyes closing as she threw back her head.

"Here you go~!" The sickly-sweet voice of Candi broke her reverie, and she slowly died down to soft giggles as she watched the brunette dyed blonde from roots place Natsume's coffee down carefully, before setting her own down without a care, nearly sloshing it over the edge of the cup, before pointedly telling Natsume in a seductive tone, "If you need _anything_ else.. Just let me know.." She winked before she left, and Natasha gagged when her back turned, Natsume lifting his hand to cover his mouth to hide his smile, although his shaking shoulders gave away his amusement.

"Why is it so much easier to laugh with strangers," she sighed idly, sipping at the coffee briefly before grabbing a stirrer. It wasn't mixed at all. "Tell me about it.." Natsume muttered, and she looked up in surprise, not exactly expecting an answer. "You know.." she mused, continuing when he looked at her over the rim of his cup, "You're pretty nice for a guy that doused me in coffee.." He smiled wryly at that, not quite a smirk, but getting there..

"So," she folded her fingers under her chin, relaxing as if she were a villain who had commit a crime, "Why'd you come to the mall?"

"I'm overlooking the stocktrade with a few of our company stores.." he shrugged a little, and she tilted her head, "Where do you work..?" she paused, and chuckled lightly, "If you don't mind me asking, that is.." "Oh," he smiled, and shook his head, "I work for _Terebigēmu_.. The video game company.."

"Do you enjoy it?" she smiled, "I imagine videogame companies have a lot more work than actual play.." "It is rewarding," he shrugged, though she didn't completely look satisfied, she nodded, sipping at her drink. "And you?" he asked curiously, "Why are you here today?"

"I'm buying a gift," she sighed, her face turning sour as she thought about it, "All of my ideas are cliche though.. I don't want to give them something they already have or something they won't ever use.." "That is a dilemma," he agreed calmly, watching her continue to stir her drink with the mini straw. "If you'd like, while we're getting your shirt-" (he ignored her dirty look at that) "-I can help you look around.. I have some time before my next meeting.."

"This is getting ridiculous," she huffed, pressing a hand to her face as she looked out the window, pouting, "You're buying me coffee, and a shirt.. And we're having the weirdest conversation for two complete strangers.." "Alright," he chuckled softly, her golden eyes sliding to his face in curiosity as she gave her a small smile, "How many meetings does it take to be promoted to 'acquaintance?" She played along, tapping her chin in thought as she glanced toward the ceiling. "Three I suppose.. It is the most overused, number, however.." she grinned, "So let's just say.. four.." "Not two?" he feigned disappointment, and she giggled, shaking her head, "Nah-ah-ah-! If fate deems us worthy of acquaintanceship, it shall be so.." "If that's the case," he reached into his pocket, pulling out his cellphone and holding it up in question, "Is tampering with fate allowed?" She blinked in surprise at his phone, hesitating before she felt the heat creep up her neck, spreading across her face and burning her ears. She bit her lip in thought, actually taking a few seconds to think it over, before she pulled her hand out of her hood, reaching back behind her to pull her phone from her bag, flipping it open and bringing up the contacts. She spun it in the air to turn it around, holding it out to him in silence as she watched the interesting napkin dispenser.

She felt her phone gently removed from her grip before another was placed in it, and she glanced down to see his phone in her hand. She glanced up to see him diligently tapping at her phone, and she bit her lip, her thumbs tapping at the keys quickly as she filled out the info. Well, the name and number, as well as the email. She'd leave the residence address blank.

"Here." She held out the phone gently, and they switched them back, pausing as their fingers brushed, and a sharp electricity shot up her arm, she nearly blamed Arrow, but this current wasn't exactly visible.. Fuck.. it was her hormones again..

 _FUCK.._

She shot her hands to the table immediately, fisting the phone in one hand as she sipped at her cup of coffee in the other, not bothering to stir. As she set it down, she was surprised to see him in a similar position, both of them setting their cups down at nearly the same moment. They locked eyes after a moment, and a soft, bubbly laugh left her lips. He chuckled along with her, and they both looked down to read their phones.

"Natsume, huh?" she asked curiously, her eyes filled with mischief, "So, you now have a stranger's number.. What's your next move, Mr. Sly?"

"Well, for starters," he started casually, pulling out his wallet as he gave her an actual smirk, "I'm going to pay for our coffee.." he ignored her miffed look as he placed down the correct amount of yen, as well as a decent tip. "Secondly," he held up two fingers as he pulled his briefcase over his shoulder, leaning his weight onto his hip before he held a hand out to her, "I'm going to make sure you leave this mall in a clean blouse.." "Natsume-san.." she rolled her eyes, taking the offered hand to stand as they hurried past the counter in sync, listening to Candi's voice get closer to the revolving kitchen door and neither wanting to stay.

They walked side by side through the mall, Natasha occasionally stopping to peer through the translucent glass windows. She had briefly pondered for separate gifts, but that would be too impersonal. The entire time, she was within arms reach of Natsume, who patiently waited as she examined the displays in stores appropriate for hobbyists and elder women.

"This is useless.." She murmured, her shoulders sagging in defeat as they sat on a bench.

"Don't give up, yet," he chuckled, his hand patting down on the hood of her coat, something she hasn't pulled down at all, "There's still an entire half of a mall left.." "It doesn't help that I don't have any idea about their interests.." "Gift cards?" he offered curiously, but she immediately shook her head, "No.. I can't.. It has come from the bottom of my twisted, melodramatic heart." He scoffed at her reverent tone, pausing a moment to look around, before he leaned down to grasp her hand, tugging her along further through the aisle. "O-Oi?!" she gasped, her feet stumbling along so she could catch up to him, his grip firm, but careful around her palm. Before she could ask, he'd lead her into a clothing store.. And from her perspective, it looked like the Japanese version of American Republic.. Wow… The price tags almost scared her, though there was nothing she couldn't afford.

"Pick something.." he motioned for her towards the women's section, and she held her previously captive hand to her chest with a sigh. This guy…

She hid a tiny, secretive smile as she started looking through racks, looking more at prices than she was style. He must have noticed that, because after a few minutes of him relaxing by a display of handbags, he strode over to an assistant, asked her something, and moved to sit at one of the sofas outside of the dressing rooms, a five pane body mirror reaching up to the ceiling. While she watched him pick up a nearby magazine, she jumped at a touch on her shoulder, a friendly looking woman with pixie cut black hair and brown eyes giving her a cheery smile.

"Excuse me," she spoke, and even her voice sounded like bells, "If you could follow me for a moment?" She glanced from the relaxing Natsume back to the woman, whose name read Hinamori, her eyes suspicious as she nodded, "Sure..?" Her suspicions were confirmed when she was suddenly flown into a dressing room and told to strip, her eyes going wide as she stared at the now shut door.

 _"NANI?!"_

She heard a distinct laugh not ten feet away, and flushed, grinding her teeth as she grumbled under her breath about persistent males and attractive red heads.

Ten minutes later to the dot, she had tried on fifteen different shirts with multiple tanktops each, having had to show Natsume out of spite. If he was going to throw her to the wolves, then let him sit and play model runway judge. She was smug to see him squirm a few times on the moments she struck magazine poses, having pinned her hair up into a black bandana so it was hidden again.

She'd finally been allowed to stop when he motioned the saleswoman over, who was watching the duo with amusement. She'd had the tags ripped from her back, and she was left in a black tube top, and a princess-sleeved royal purple blouse, the buttons all shiny black, with a black rose pattern over the left breast pocket. She hadn't even wanted to look at the price tag, but she was admittedly thankful that she could return to her jacket, pulling it over her shoulders and fixing her hair in the safety of the changing room, before pinning it back again and lifting the hood.

She and Natsume exit the store soon after, and Natasha was feeling hopeless at finding a gift. Rather than outright saying so, however, she allowed herself to relax, chuckling as Natsume made subtle side comments about her outrageous flaunting. She countered that with several jabs for his predominant chivalry, warning him to steer clear of of cafes with flouncy waitresses, lest he want to wind up with a Mrs Candi Natsume.. The mere thought had them sharing laughter.

And then, in the midst of their laughter, she stopped, freezing mid-step and eyeing the display case of an expensive suit store. _It was meant to be.._

"Score-!" she gasped, Natsume gasping in surprise as she grabbed his hand, dragging him with her into the store like a child to a parent into Toys R Us.

She released him after a moment so she could bound to the display cabinet, eyeing the brand name before turning to inspect the walls. She was at an opposite corner in a matter of seconds, a hand at her chin and her thumb pressing to her bottom lip in silence. A worker walked up to Natsume after a moment of observation, a measuring tape around his shoulders and falling over his fashionable sweater-vest combo over a stark white button up, sleeves rolled to his elbows and brown hair slicked back. "Can I help you?" he asked casually, and Natsume shook his head, pointing to the female lifting two briefcases up for inspection, weighing them in her hands in serious consideration, "Aah, no, but she may need it.." "Natsume-san-!" came her concerned call, her eyes still trained on the cases, "Do men prefer their briefcases to be brown or black- Oh- _wait_ \- Should I get him white, instead-?!" She sounded like a teenager, he couldn't help the snicker that left his mouth, coughing into his sleeve to cover it, before he called back, "Depends on the person.."

"Augh-!" she groaned, turning her head to pout at him, "I know I'd prefer black, because it would go with everything.. But brown is traditional.. But white is different, too-! I'm torn.." She glanced between the three cases sadly, feeling a light tapping at her shoulder causing her eyes to see a man with gentle brown eyes, slick brown hair, and a tailor's ensemble. "What color are his eyes?" he asked simply, and Natasha hesitated, before looking back over the cases, "So.. it should go with his eyes.." "If they're black or grey," he pointed to the black case. "Brown or hazel," he pointed to the brown. "Or blue and green," he settled on the white. "It's a lot easier to match eyes than the number of suits they wear..

"You're.." she gave him a face full of gratification, clutching the white briefcase to her chest in relief, "You're a genius-!" He blushed a bit at the praise, brushing it off with a chuckle, "Oh, you.."

Natasha paid for it quickly, turning on her heel and walking up to see Natsume observing a display of ties. "Sorry for dragging you in here.." she laughed awkwardly. He hummed, lifting a hand to pat the black hood atop her head. "No problem."

They exit a store with a final thank you to the worker, Natasha with two bags over her arm, one with the case wrapped in protective paper and bubble wrap, the other with her coffee-stained clothes.

"I.. had fun.." Natasha smiled at him as they reached the exit, and she gave him a polite smile, "Thank you." "I'm still sorry about the smoothie," he shook his head, his hands shoved in the pocket of his coat as they watched each other in a strange, but comfortable silence, "I'll have to make it up to you on a later date." "Well.." she sighed, giving him a slight bow, "I should probably get going.." "Will you be able to get home safe?" he asked curiously, and she nodded, a quick lie on the tip of her tongue, "Yeah.. I'll just call my brother to pick me up.." "Well," he held out his hand, and she paused, before shaking it with her own with a grin. "It was nice to meet you, Natasha-san.." "Likewise, Natsume-san," she smiled, waving a little as he bid his goodbyes and left to go to the parking garage.

* * *

Natasha took off running toward the house the second he was out of sight, sticking to the back streets and relying on memory alone to guide her. While it was probably one of her most idiotic choices ever, she managed to get there in under forty minutes. She was wheezing as she stood in the doorway of the entrance, hands on her knees as she coughed, one arm supporting her against the wall of mailboxes as she felt tears trailing down her face. How far did she run..?

She heard shouting further within the house, but was too winded to call out her entrance, "Ta.. Tadai.." she fell into another fit of coughs, before she completely fell into the wall, her heart hammering in her ears as the yelling got louder, and closer..

" _-Ma.."_

* * *

 ** _DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUUUNNNNNN-!_**

 ** _Natasha: *being held back by Natsume* Let me at her-! Let me at her-! I swear I won't kill her, just give me five minutes-!_**

 ** _Natsume: *holds her tighter by the arms* That is the tone of someone about to make very poor life decision, Natasha.._**

 ** _Natasha: *audible growling*_**

 ** _Eh heh heh.. ^-^" Thank you for reading~!_**

 ** _Wataru: *pops out of the Mystery Box*_**

 ** _Wataru: Rate and Review please~!_**


	14. Chapter 3: part 7

Natasha took off running toward the house the second he was out of sight, sticking to the back streets and relying on memory alone to guide her. While it was probably one of her most idiotic choices ever, she managed to get there in under forty minutes. She was wheezing as she stood in the doorway of the entrance, hands on her knees as she coughed, one arm supporting her against the wall of mailboxes as she felt tears trailing down her face. How far did she run..?

She heard shouting further within the house, but was too winded to call out her entrance, "Ta.. Tadai.." she fell into another fit of coughs, before she completely fell into the wall, her heart hammering in her ears as the yelling got louder, and closer..

 **(In the other room :P)**

"She's been gone all day-!" Tsubaki argued, currently being forbidden from taking the car to search for his sister. The blonde sighed, repeated the same sentence he'd said for ten minutes, now, "Tsubaki, she said she was going to be out after school." "She's not answering her phone.." Azuza voiced his input after a tense second of silence, and both blue and violet eyes turned to him in anxiety. "She said she was shopping," Yusuke was at the nook, not really wanting Tsubaki to keep screaming about how their sister wasn't home. School ended about three hours ago, but it was nearing dinner time, and she had yet to call.. Not that she was _obligated_ to do so, he'd internally chastised himself.

"Ukyo," Tsubaki groaned, his tone turning frantic, "What if she got kidnapped? Or mugged? Or-or- I CAN'T EVEN _THINK_ OF THAT ONE-!" The taller blonde fixed the glasses on his nose with a slow, heavy sigh. "Try calling her once more, if she doesn't answer, we will all go looking.."

Everyone else had pulled out their phones in unison, but Ukyo merely rolled his eyes, flicking out his own red phone and clicking around to find her number, pressing call a moment later. He wouldn't admit it, but Tsubaki was getting to his anxiety about it. He heard the click to signify that her phone was off, an automated message giving him useless advice before he snapped it shut, the hardened eyes of his brother fueling his willingness for the task as he swiped a set of keys from the hooks, pulling his jacket off of the chair he'd placed it on not twenty minutes ago.

The others were already scrambling into their coats and shoes, some even hopping as they slipped them on. They hurried out to get to the garage, but a sudden stop from Ukyo, who had been in the front of the line, had them all flailing for balance, as they looked at the black figure crouched in the corner by the mailboxes, their breathing erratic and uneven, several shopping bags strewn out at their sides.

Tsubaki was the first to break free from his surprise, bolting until he slid on his knees the rest of the way, lifting her shoulders so he could turn her over, seeing her face flushed, and sweat dripped down her neck. He felt her erratic pulse beneath his fingers as he held her in his arms, adjusting her weight so her head lied in his lap while the others finally boot-kicked into action, Ukyo ordering Yusuke to get water, and for Azuza to inform Masaomi. While he wasn't a trained physician, Ukyo did know simple first aid. He got onto his knees beside the duo, his hand moving from her cheeks to her forehead gently, then he touched her neck, measuring her pulse as it thumped sharply in exertion. "She's just winded," he finally sighed, leaning back on his haunches while Tsubaki pulled the hood off of her head, exposing her white strands, now silver in their sweat-soaked state. He strained his eyes a bit, trying to find her roots, wanting to know what her natural hair color was, however, either the dye was extremely well done, or she was a natural silver haired female.. On the plus side, she was beginning to calm, her breath only coming in short stutters rather than her heavy panting.

"Can you bring her inside?" Ukyo asked calmly, nodding when the silver haired male merely scooped the female into his arms without comment, a brief look of surprise on his face as he held her bridal style in his arms. "She needs to eat more," he muttered, almost annoyed at how light she was, but too preoccupied with her condition to think more on it. Ukyo gathered the bags quickly, following behind him as he hurried to the elevator, Yusuke greeting them outside Natasha's door once they'd made it with a tall glass of water, as well as a small box of chocolates. Ukyo had started to excuse himself to find her spare key is Masaomi's room, but Tsubaki shook the set in his hands, the jangle of several smaller keys, a house key, tiny ornaments and an apartment key tinkling from his hand behind her knees. "Just use hers.."

"Where _were_ they?" Yusuke asked, suspicion leaking in his tone when Ukyo had immediately moved to open the door, the squirrel the first to greet them with a barrage of panicked and enraged hissing. Tsubaki moved to set her on the bed, Yusuke setting the water on the nightstand, before pulling the covers back so Tsubaki could lay her on the sheets. "She'll get sick if she sleeps like this," Ukyo sighed, closing the curtains with a snap and turning to Yusuke with a confused, but stern expression, "What are those?"

"Chocolates," Yusuke sighed, ripping the tinfoil off as he thought back to a joking comment about how sweets revived her from dead sleep. Her ear twitched slightly at the sound of crinkling foil, and she unconsciously sniffed the air, tentatively, though no one noticed. Yusuke held out a single chocolate truffle to her nose with a sigh, "It's worth a shot, I guess.."

Her nose twitched at the scent, and Yusuke watched in silence as her hand came up, tired golden eyes fluttering before they opened, and a pale face streaked with sweat scrunched in concentration, and she groaned, her free hand coming up to grasp her head as she whimpered, "Aah.. Too many.. Too many stairwells.." "Imouto-!" Tsubaki gasped, wrapping her lower torso in his arms his face pressed against her stomach, only to hear her shout in pain. He sat up quickly, and she hissed, a hand flying down as she touched at her stomach, hidden with her rumpled tank top and blouse, both wet with perspiration.

At their sharp, expectant looks, she groaned, throwing her head back as she grit her teeth, "Let me start out by saying that this was a complete accident.."

"What happened?" Ukyo demanded calmly. Instead of explaining, she sent him a weak smile, "Do we have burn cream on hand..?" "I'll get some," Tsubaki was on his feet and out the door, as Azuza reappeared in the doorway, his phone at his ear before he dismissed the call and clicked it off, slipping it into his pocket and moving deeper into the room to see what was accomplished. Natasha sat up, with some difficulty, releasing Yusuke's wrist after an awkward moment of realizing she was still holding it captive. He offered her the chocolate, however, and the tension faded, her eyes lighting up as a child-like glee covered her face, and she popped the sweet into her mouth with a pleased hum.

"You have a bit of explaining to do," Ukyo settled into her desk chair, tugging it out enough so he could comfortably face her with his arms across his chest. Natasha flinched at the look, before flinching in pain, straightening her back so as not to disrupt the burn on her stomach, "Like I said, it was an accident.." "You seem to get in a lot of those.." Azuza mused casually, and a guilty smile was her only response. "What precisely happened?" Ukyo demanded, watching as Natasha sat up from to bed, just a few short inches from Yusuke who claimed the foot of her bed, watching her with strained expectation. With a sigh, she began to explain what happened, in much less detail, leaving out the fact that they knew the guy, he was their brother, they were on an apology-coffee-thing, and that they'd exchanged numbers.. So, she basically only said some guy hit her in the aisle and burned her with his coffee and covered her in her own smoothie. Tsubaki was back by that time, bandages and a case of what looked to be medical supplies as he started ranting about the indecency of people and how unfortunate it was that his little Imouto-chan kept getting hurt, and that she should be monitored more, and.. _Blah, blah, blah_..

She had lifted her shirts to expose the burn to Azuza, who had prepared he bandage, only to hear a sharp gasp from both twins, Tsubaki flinching, while Azuza closed his eyes briefly, before leaning forward with renewed purpose, Tsubaki grasping her hand without question and giving it a reassuring squeeze, while Yusuke just backed off a bit to observe at a reasonable distance. "I don't know why you're getting all bent out of shape, it's just a-" she felt a stinging sensation on her skin, and her face paled as a loud, unrestrained yelp left her lips, her fingers tensed as she kept her hand from squeezing Tsubaki's.. Surely, if she lost control, he'd be out of a hand for a while.. " _Yak_ -?!"

* * *

Natasha was, for lack of a better word, grounded to a brother's side at all times until the wedding, Ukyo already having chastised her that getting hurt before the wedding was one of the main reasons, the other being that they needed to make sure she didn't unintentionally do anything else. That was why, presently, she was sitting in the livingroom, sheets upon sheets of origami paper set out along the table, hundreds of little cranes, birds, animals, boxes, and boats swimming around the living room like a war zone, all in various colors, most of which were all brightly neon and sharp to the eyes. She'd been currently assigned to Kaname, who was also folding the wing of a crane just a few short feet away, delighted in spending time with his little Imouto-chan on a weekend off, taking the time every hour or so to remind her.

They'd been doing this since breakfast, and it was nearly dinner time. Since she'd been burned several days ago, and it was still a prominent place on her stomach, she was forbidden from 'strenuous' work.. _Feh_..

A chime met her ears, and she blinked, turning her head to find her phone among the soldiers of her paper army, Kaname looking over as a breeze of her arm sent several colorful birds flying across the rug. By the time she'd crawled over to it near the television and lifted it up to open it, she was braced on her elbow, having crawled on her knees, hair mussed from the search and falling out of her loose bun, her hood pulled down to her shoulders, for once. She blinked in surprise at the name, _Natsu_ , having changed it to the lovable Fairy Tail character in the idea that if one of the others were to check her phone without her knowledge, they'd have to snoop to put two and two together.

 _Natsu: Is three days the common waiting period to text a female after receiving her number?_

"Oh my god," she gasped, Kaname looking concerned as she stared at her phone, his eyebrow raising as she put a hand over her mouth, eyes pinching shut as shuddered in an effort not to laugh, " _Dear god_.." "Imouto-chan?" he pouted, tilting his head, "What's so funny?" "A boy I know is being funny," she grinned, shaking her head as she giggled, "He's.. he's just.. Too much.."

"Oh~?" he sounded disappointed, getting to his feet to join her on the couch as she plopped into the red cushions, bringing up her knees and looking over them to tap at her phone, giggling all the while. "And does Imouto-chan like this mystery boy?" "Hmm.." she furrowed her eyebrows at that, sending him a look that clearly meant 'seriously'? "I just met the guy.."

"Aah," he nodded, reaching an arm around to run his fingers through her revealed hair, admiring the softness of the strands, though she looked bit put-off and embarrassed, "But there is such a thing as love at first sight.." "Are you a victim, Kana-nii?" she teased playfully, slipping the phone shut and slipping it in her hoodie pocket. "I very well might be.." Kaname sniffed, smiling at her gently, "If I do recall, I found I loved you the moment our eyes met.." "Sibling love doesn't count," she rolled her eyes, lifting a hand to tug at a blonde curl in her face, putting it back over his shoulder with ease before she felt the buzz in her pocket. He texted back quickly for it being five o'clock on a weekend. "So it would seem," he murmured, his fingers gently combing down until he reached the back of her neck, letting the locks slip through his fingers before he brought a strand to his lips. "And If I were to say.." she looked up to meet his really close eyes, her fingers clenched in the pocket of her hoodie as she stilled against the couch, "..that it wasn't a love between siblings..?"

"I would be disconcerted," she sniffed, and at his surprise, added, "I would hope that I was pleasing you as a sister.. And if I wasn't enough of a sister to be seen as one, I would feel disconcerted.."

"Imouto-chan~" he groaned, pouting before she was scooped into his lap, being nearly smothered by his robes as he nuzzled her like a child to a stuffed toy, "When you say such cute things, it's hard to resist hugging you~!" "Air-!" she whimpered, reaching out toward the window with faux tears in her eyes, flexing her fingers, before she actually hissed in pain, " _tut-tut-tut-tut- KANAME-_!" He sat back a bit at her whine, flinching in surprise as she wound her arms around her stomach, face pressing into his shoulder. " _Itai_.." "Gomenasai, Imouto-chan," he furrowed his eyebrows as he pet her hair slowly, internally smacking himself for upsetting her burn. Speaking of which.. "When did Imouto-chan change the bandages last?"

"Uhh.." she slid her eyes up with slightly guilt, glancing away when his look turned chastising. "Imouto-chan.." he repeated expectantly. " _Ysrnay nnt_.." she mumbled, turning her face as it flushed. "Imouto," he frowned, sighing, before he shook his head, "It can't be helped.." She was in his arms as he stood a second later, catching the shout on her tongue as he took her into the dining room, having her sit on a chair before he gave her a pointed look, "Don't move from that spot.. You aren't supposed to be out of my sight, but I need to find the bandages."

"Yeah, yeah," she sighed, pouting, as she looked away, face flushed in mortification. He pat her head consolingly, before he turned to find his objectives. Seeing an opportunity, she pulled out her phone, she checked the messages,, smiling slightly as she did.

 _Natsu: Is three days the common waiting period to text a female after receiving her number?_

 _Me: I believe we established three as an overused number, pumpkin._

 _Natsu: Did you just call me pumpkin? Like the vegetable?_

 _Me: For your hair, it fits. And pumpkins have seeds.. They're fruits :P_

She grinned as she sent it, slipping the phone out of sight as she heard a set of feet hurry into the livingroom. She fully expected it to be Kaname, weighted down by bandages and medicinal supplies. She only applied her herbal cures before bed, opting to try using the medical one so she didn't stink during the day. However, she was given a surprise when a shout cut through the air, followed by what sounded like a fall and scrambling feet. "What the hell happened here?!"

She raised both eyebrows as she watched the doorway, a softer voice, different from the first, cutting into the sudden quiet, "It seems Natasha was trying to occupy herself.."

"Tch.. did she have to make such a mess-?!"

She leaned forward on her elbow as she faced the livingroom, watching with a sweet smile as Iori and Futo rounded the corner, Iori sighing in annoyance as Futo pouted. "Futo.. you can't continue to complain about her being resigned to the house. We can't risk her getting-" She cleared her throat loudly, smiling brightly when both snapped their gazes to her in unison, Iori blushing slightly, having been discussing said woman, while Futo merely frowned, "You're no fun when you're cooped up," he rolled his eyes, moving to get the snack Iori had mentioned in the kitchen, only to pause in the doorway as he stared at the plates upon plates of baked goods.

Iori peeked in behind him curiously, before turning back to Natasha, a concerned look on his face, "Didn't Masaomi and Ukyo _both_ say no strenuous activity until the wedding?"

"Kaname mixed for me," she waved him off, "I pretty much walked him through the entire thing.." Futo rolled his eyes as he grabbed a crepe from the plastic wrap covered plate, biting at it experimentally before he sighed, his tone whining, "Onee-chan makes it better on her own.."

"Were you the one that ate Subaru's rice krispie treats?!" She gasped in realization, her eyes widening in surprise, before she sent him a glare, his sneaky smirk answering for him, "Do you have any idea how hard it was to keep Wataru-chan out of those?! They were supposed to go to Suba-kun's teammates on the basketball team-!" He laughed at that, flashing his teeth as he tilted his head back. Natasha just looked annoyed, while Iori shook his head, moving to get a glass of water. Natasha felt a buzz in her pocket, pausing her glaring at the idol as she pulled out her phone, flipping it open to read the messages.

 _Natsu: Did you just call me pumpkin? Like the vegetable?_

 _Me: For your hair, it fits. And pumpkins have seeds.. They're fruits :P_

 _Natsu: That's a bit unfair, don't you think?_

 _Natsu: I have no idea about the color of your hair. And at least make it a cuter nickname.. Pumpkin is so old fashioned.._

She blinked down at the teasing messages, feeling heat creep up her neck, before she bit her lip, ignoring the surprised looks of Futo and Iori as they shared a glance, watching her tap at her phone. _Me: Ask nicely, and maybe I'll think about it.._ She clicked send swiftly before she pocketed the phone, looking back up to see the intense eyes of her brothers-to-be. "Uh.. can I help you..?"

"Who were you texting.." Futo demanded sternly, and she did a double take, eyebrow raised in question. "You're younger than me.. I'm not inclined to answer you.. Especially with that tone.."

"Natasha-chan," Iori spoke next, his low tones much more soothing than Futo's as she met his eyes, "Who were you texting?" she twitched a little at the question, face turning bright crimson as she looked away, "A guy I met the other day…" Futo scoffed, leaning against the wall with his arms over his chest, "What, is he the boy you snuck off to go on a date with?"

"Excuse me?!" she gave him a sharp look, and from his expression, she could tell he wasn't fazed, "First off, I did not _sneak off_. I discussed my going out with both Ukyo and Masaomi- you were there-! _Secondly_ , I did not _go on a date_ \- I've never even _been on a date_ , before- why would I start now? _Thirdly_ \- My romantic intentions are none of your business.. You don't see me pestering you about all the girls throwing themselves at your feet, do you? No-!" She breathed out the last of her fire in a heavy sigh, slumping into the table as she glared at the wood, "Gomenasai, Iori-kun.. Futo struck a nerve.." While Futo was overall unfazed by her rant, his surprise only showed at her admission to never being on an actual date.

"It's fine," Iori smiled, moving to place something beside her hand gently on the table, "I shouldn't have encouraged him." "It's not your fault," she shook her head, lifting her eyes to see a flurry of ruffled white petals. She lifted her hand to take the bloom, bringing it closer to inhale the sweet fragrance. "This is a.. Carnation, right?" She looked up for approval, and his smile had her heart freezing up in shock. If she thought he looked like a prince before..

"You should smile more often.." she blinked her eyes, filter switching off completely as he looked down in surprise. Having realized what she said, she jerked in surprise, covering her mouth with her free hand as she held the flower delicately by the stem in the other, "Ohmygodimsosorrythatwasstupidtosay.."

He smiled at her gently, patting her head as met her eyes again, "Do you know what it means..?" "Aah.. I believe it was.. Good luck?" she glanced up again, though her face was flushed, and he nodded, his smile a little less heart-throbbing, though she gave the excuse to herself that she was getting used to seeing it. "...Right."

Futo clicked his tongue at the both of them, before taking a smaller plate of cookies, making to eat one, when his head was smacked with a rolled-up newspaper, and he called out in surprise, sending Ukyo a pout as the sweets were taken from him. "Kyo-nii.. I was going to eat that.." "Dinner will be in an hour and a half," he dismissed the teen sternly, looking over the assorted trays of sweets.. At _least_ eight of them.. All different types.. He was scared to open the freezer.. Before stepping out to give Natasha a frown, though by this time, Kaname was hurrying down the steps, looking put-off. "Iori," the robe-clad blonde called, "I can't find the burn cream for Imouto-chan's wounds, do you know where it would be?"

"Did you check the bathroom sink?" Ukyo answered instead, pressing the scold for her rigorous behavior aside to address him, glaring at Futo until he'd put back the plate and stalked away, before turning his divided attentions to the girl that was now on her phone, texting, while Iori sat at her side, a handful of white flowers in his hand, tracing the petals absently as the males discussed medicine.

 _Natsu: I have no idea about the color of your hair. And at least make it a cuter nickname.. Pumpkin is so old fashioned.._

 _Me: Ask nicely and maybe I'll think about it.._

 _Natsu: Please give me a nickname other than pumpkin._

 _Me: How about Apricot._

 _Natsu: Do you like fruits that much?_

 _Me: I'll take that as a no. How about Cinnamon?_

 _Natsu: Mmm.. too long._

 _Me: Chianti?_

 _Natsu: Like the wine?_

 _Me: It's not a bad wine.,_

 _Natsu: Is it a red wine? It is, isn't it.._

 _Me: Maybe.._

 _Natsu: Anything else up your sleeve?_

 _Me: I could always call you ginger-snaps_

 _Natsu: Would you really?_

 _Me: Gingerbread?_

 _Natsu: Natasha-san…_

 _Me: OH OH How about Ginger Schnapps? Ah?! I like that one.._

 _Natsu: ..Natasha-san.._

 _Me: I could always call you Amber.._

 _Natsu: Pumpkin just keeps sounding more and more appealing.._

 _Me: You're laughing, though._

 _Natsu: And you knew that, how?_

Natasha snapped the phone closed as she heard her name being called, looking up to see Kaname looking put-out, "Imouto-chan.. Ah, you finally listen.." "Did you find the burn cream?" she asked curiously, slyly putting her phone into her pocket as she furrowed her eyebrows, "I have some herbal paste in my room if you can't.."

"No, we found it," he sighed, raising an eyebrow as he settled into the chair beside her, an entire bundle of the white carnations tied with twine just at her hand. She lifted the bundle to smell them, listening intently as Kaname complained about her lack of attention. When she felt a tug at her shirt however, she yelped, falling backwards out of her chair, her face blazing fire.

Kaname looked surprised, but quickly got up to help her back into the seat, her face entirely red as she glared at a wall, "I can do it, Aniki.." she muttered, tucking her head in as she looked away. He hummed in thought, an elbow leaning on the table as he watched her thumbs fiddle with her shirt, "Is that so?"

She slid a brief look to him, their eyes caching as she saw the mirth and amusement in his own eyes. She looked too delicately cute to make a move on right now.

Natasha tugged the shirt up over her stomach, keeping it bunched over her chest, effectively hiding her bra. Ukyo, a quick glance, showed him diligently working in the kitchen, Futo had stalked off to read his script, and Iori had retired to his room to study for an upcoming exam.

Kaname chuckled at her innocence, reaching around her toned stomach to unwind the bandages already there. He felt her shudder as the cold air was exposed to her white peach skin, her teeth snagging into her lower lip as she held back from flinching as he carefully undid the wraps, his fingers gently brushing the exposed skin with every pass of this palm. She kept her eyes trained on the ceiling fan in silence, singing the words to a song in her head as she felt his palm cover hers over her shirt, and she glanced back down with a start.

"Relax," he squeezed her hand reassuringly, keeping his hand over the both of hers as he let the soiled bandages flutter into a plastic waste sack, and he pulled out a jar with a grey lid. He removed his hand briefly from hers to open the jar, before sticking two fingers into the mixture, and setting the jar aside. She knew how much it was going to hurt, so she took a deep breath, holding it as she felt his clean hand cover both of hers again, before she felt his two fingers with the burn cream slide across her stomach. She hissed at the sting over the burns, but otherwise remained quiet, listening as Kaname whispered little things to distract her.

"Imouto-chan's stomach is very tight," he chuckled, "Does Imouto-chan lift weights?" "Used to.." she murmured, gritting her teeth in embarrassment when she met his eyes, seeing the incredulous awe in them, though his fingers were unrelenting as he continued to cover her wounds, "Do you know what you bench?" "I last benched twenty one for a one hundred fifteen set." she huffed, forcing herself not to whimper as his fingers traveled from her middle abdomen up towards just below the line of her breasts, where most of the coffee had actually spilled, and seared into her flesh. He slid his fingers slowly in a line on the wounds, watching as she panted quietly, struggling not to cry, "That's very impressive, Imouto-chan," he murmured, though the double meaning was lost as she grit her teeth, and he continued, "What else does Imouto know how to do?" "I.. I sing, I guess..?" she mumbled, distracted, "Not.. Not in front of people, though.."

"Can you sing for Aniki one day?" he asked gently, finishing up by her chest, her relieved sigh not lost on him before he traced down near her lower stomach, were several smaller patches of burns were scattered near her hips and beltline. She hissed again at that, but it was a mixed reaction hiss, leaving him feeling both concerned for the level of pain and amused at the level of surprise. "Relax," he murmured, leaning forward to peck her forehead, her entire body freezing up at that, just as he finished. He'd grasped the new bandages from the table carefully, and started at the bottom of her stomach, working his way up until it was just underneath her breasts, tying it off into a soft little bow just under the center of her hands and leaning back with a smile, "All done.."

"That was torture," she grumbled, fixing her shirt and moving to stand up, he sighed, agreeing, "It really was, wasn't it..?" "Kana-nii," her blunt tone caught his eyes as she gave him a tired look, "Can I _please_ clean the living room?" "What would Ukyo say?" he smiled innocently.

"Kyo-nii~!" Natasha called, her tone turning childlike as she cupped her hands around her mouth, "Can I _please_ clean up the mess Kaname-nii and I made in the livingroom~?!" "Kaname can do it," he called back without hesitation, and she groaned, then pouted, "Can I help with _dinner_ , then?"

"Go sit on the couch and watch TV," he answered instead, and she groaned, louder, before standing, doing just that as she moved into the living room, collapsing into the corner of the couch and lying out, as if dying, one arm thrown over her eyes as she closed them, in a position extremely similar to how she met Futo. Feeling a buzz in her pocket, she glanced down, pulling out her phone at the newest message.

 _Natsu: And you knew that, how?_

 _Me: Magic._

 _Natsu: Is that so. Was there a witch's hat beneath that hood you wore?_

 _Natsu: Sorry it took so long to respond, just got out of the shower._

Natasha blinked down at the message blankly, squealing in fear at the barrage of images that flooded her mind, a dark presence in her mind roaring with laughter and supplying the thoughts.

"Imouto-!" Kaname was in the livingroom in an instant, at her side and touching her shoulder as he looked at her face, "What's wrong?" "I think I need to meditate," she whimpered, sniffing in shame as she curled into a ball. Dark laughter flooded her mind to the brim.


	15. Chapter 3: part 8

Today was the day. The day of the wedding. The church was actually in the middle of town, with a big courtyard for the afterparty, the reception being held outside to avoid strenuous travel for those pressed with time. Natasha had taken her shower before any of the boys had even woken up, being sure to dress in her lazy clothes, a grey tracksuit with a hoodie to match. She'd hurried down the stairs to start breakfast before anyone had noticed, grinning wickedly as she set out to work, an apron over her front as she hummed to an idle song in her head, stirring the stew and checking the rice every few minutes for target fluffiness.

She failed to hear a set of footsteps behind her, the person's breath hitching as she swung her hips to the beat, fluffy white hair cascading just below her shoulders as she hummed, singing softly and swaying her body in time to her tempo. She had just spun out to give a solo, spoon lifted up as a microphone and her eyes shut to imagine a fake audience, despite the volume being low, the words were pure, and like liquid silk. " _And if the heat comes close enough to burn, we're gonna play. With. Fire. Cause' You'll never take us aliiive~ We swore that death will do us part, they'll call our crimes a work of art.. You'll never take us aliiive~ We'll live like spoiled royalty lovers and partners, partners in crime-!_ " She quickly hummed the instrumental verse before she went back to singing, oblivious to the ink-haired male whose eyes were trained on the white writing against the backside of her grey sweatpants. SWEET & SPICY spelled out in variations of enticing font.

" _Partners in crime-! Here we find our-_ " she stopped as she turned to set out the rice, eyes locking onto the form of Subaru, who was standing in the doorway silently, eyes wide as he watched her freeze. She looked away briefly, before looking back, and clearing her throat, face flushing in mortification as she realized that he'd heard her singing.. Not to mention such an intense song.. "Eheheh.. _Hey_ Subaru-san.." She hid the spoon behind her back in a swift move, her grin twitchy and her eyes not staying on any one thing for too long, "What are you doing up so early..?" "M.. Morning jog," he slurred, eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her fidget, quickly turning to shut off the stove, before flashing him an innocent smile. "Do you.. Want some breakfast..?"

He pressed his lips together silently, the quiet causing the girl to strain beneath his gaze. "You shouldn't be cooking," he finally spoke, after a minute of watching her, and she flinched, handing her head slightly as she looked away. "I'm sorry…" "Why are you purposefully disobeying Ukyo's instructions?" "I'm going stir-crazy, alright?!" she finally crumbled, her hands falling to her sides in defeat, "Don't you know what it's like to be told you have no use when you just want to work to the point of exhaustion to keep your thoughts from wandering and-" "I get it.."

She stopped speaking at that, looking up with wide eyes as she blinked slowly, "R.. Really..?" "I sprained my ankle a few weeks before a big game in high school," he sighed, shaking his head as he moved to get a water bottle from the fridge, the true purpose from coming in. "I'll just say I did it after I came in.. Just don't let them catch you touching it.." He felt arms wrap around his waist a second later, and he jerked at the bottles cap, opening it with a single tug as he looked down at her in stunned silence. She hugged his back quickly, her tone clearly grateful as she pressed her face into the tense muscles of his back, "Thank you, Subaru-san.." "Get out of here.." he muttered, shaking his head as he moved to check the almost-done stew, "they'll be up soon.."

"Keep it on low heat until it boils, then let it sit- 'kay?" She was gone a few moments later, and he let out a terse sigh, lifting a hand to run his fingers through his hair, leaning against the cabinet as a certain area of clothing flashed across his mind. Sweet and spicy, huh…?

* * *

"Louis.." Natasha breathed, staring in awe at the woman reflected in the bathroom's mirror, golden doe eyes wide with awe. She refused to believe that the reflection was her. It wasn't plausible. The woman's skin was a creamy peach white, nearly glowing with a soft baby skin feel. Her big, golden eyes were lined delicately with eye liner, soft, elegant angel wings pulling off at the corners like works of art. Her lips were parted gently, a soft, kissable petal pink, with a purple sheen in the right lighting. Her bangs were swept to the side, hair pulled back into several thin intricate braids, pulled into a tiara around her crown, and allowing the rest to flow elegantly past her shoulders like cotton candy. Her nails were clipped, buffed, and painted, the color a shining silver, and while she had been given several handfuls of silver bangles for her wrists, she kept the golden ring on her left hand's middle finger. Her toes had undergone the same treatment, and in whole, it felt like she'd spent a day at the spa, rather than an hour and a half in the third floor bathroom. The other boys were either already ready to go, or finishing in their rooms, and it must have been apparent they'd never lived constantly with a female to know how long it took to get ready, because they didn't question her once.

"Chii~!" Juli bounded up to her quickly, hopping into her lap to examine her reflection with her, though she looked too out of it to hear him, "You look good-! But it will be that much harder to keep the wolves at bay.." Natasha lifted a delicate hand to touch her cheek, sliding it down her neck to fall at her silver star necklace with a shuddering breath. "What.. do you think..?" Louis asked curiously, waiting for a reaction. When she'd thrown her arms around him a second later, he pat her back gently, pulling back when he heard her sniffles and felt a tremble in her shoulders. "It's.. it's beautiful, Louis-nii.." she hiccuped, feeling the white haired male lift his hands to her face, rubbing away her tears with his thumbs, thankful that the makeup was waterproof, "It's perfect.. Thank you.. Thank you, Aniki.." he paused a bit at that as she smiled through her tears, her hands fisting into the purple of her skirt as she resisted the urge to rub her eyes. "Thank you.."

Louis wrapped her in his arms gently, briefly, before pulling back, holding her hand as he helped Juli onto his shoulder. "Should we.. dress up Juli..?" he asked, though there was a note of teasing in his tone. "Would you like that, Juli?" she asked brightly, her hands coming up to clap in excitement, "I could find a ribbon for you to wear so we can match-!" Juli grumbled in thought, before he sighed, "Only.. for Chii.." "Yosh-!" Natasha hopped up and down, lifting the rodent to peck his cheek gently, then handing him to Louis, "I'll be right back, kay?" "Wait-Chii-!" Juli made to jump, but the door had already slid shut behind her, and he deflated, "She's going to get mauled by her carelessness one day-!"

"Ne, Juli," Louis smiled, setting him on the counter as he went to get his things, "Let's.. Make Chii smile.." "Mm," Juli nodded, watching as his signature red with white polka-dotted bow was undone, and a soft comb went through his fur. Several minutes later, Natasha returned with a purple ribbon, that had white fabric trim and black lace patterned in roses around the edges. "Found one-!" she chirped, _Made one_ \- her mind repeated scornfully, though she pushed the guilt aside to hold it up for inspection. Juli was being a good little squirrel, a handkerchief around his neck as Louis snipped at excess hair, and straighten out some poofy bits, sleeking him out to look positively regal while she watched the process in awe. "Louis-nii-chan is so good at this.." she whispered, jerking in surprise when he laughed, having heard her comment, "Thank you, Chii-chan.." When he was finished, Natasha put the ribbon in Louis hand, watching as he expertly made the bow, adding a flair at the back of his neck. She applauded the transformation gleefully, helping the critter up to her shoulder as she reached for Louis hand, "We better get going-! You still need to get ready, Louis-nii-! Don't want the others to worry.." The taller male smiled as she lead him out of the room, his tools in hand as he excused himself to change. She waited patiently outside his door as she waited, fiddling with her ring and listening to Juli admire his new look in the reflection of a nearby window. "You look very dashing, Juli," she smiled in agreement, and he looked to her with a start as she continued, "Just like a little knight.. My sweet little prince.."

He stuttered out something about her teasing as she giggled, reaching into her small pockets to produce a tiny bag of nuts, handing him one and stowing the rest away. "In case you want to snack during the wedding," she explained at his nibbling question. Natasha looked up when the door opened again not ten minutes later, Louis stepping out in a casual black business suit, his stark white undershirt unbuttoned at the top, and a loose, marine blue scarf hanging around his neck, though he seemed to be having trouble knotting it properly. Stepping forward as he shut the door, her hands replaced his own as she ran them up the length of the tie, before knotting it, twisting it into a loose ascot around his neck and tucking it into the blazer with a smile, kissing her fingers and dashing them away, " _Viola_ ~!" He offered her his arm to lead them out, and she accepted with a regal curtsy, Juli on one shoulder and Louis holding the opposite arm as he lead her toward the stairs.

There was chattering going on in the dining area and living room, all of it spreading to the kitchen as some boys ate, others milled around looking at their phones and just relaxing. Their arrival was silent as he lead her to the kitchen, intent on giving her a light snack, since she'd eaten earlier. When Louis handed her an apple, she heard a clatter hit the kitchen floor, looking over to see Tsubaki with his hand poised mid-air, phone on the tile floor, forgotten, and his eyes locked on her, Azuza at his side with a similar expression. She blinked slowly at them, before offering a smile, and a slight curtsy, "Morning, boys.." She bit into the apple with a satisfying crunch, glancing up at Kaname's low whistle. "Imouto-chan.." he murmured, shaking his head slowly, "We may need to bring some bats to the wedding.." "And why is that..?" she asked dubiously, a line of juice slipping at the corner of her lip before she licked it away, watching Kaname curiously. He paused, transfixed with her cleaning tongue, before shaking his head to clear it, his tone turning grave, "To beat away all of the suitors, of course.. They'll have their paws on you the moment they see you.."

"Mangy wolf-!" Juli hissed, "The only paws Chii should worry about are your's-!" Natasha looked over at Louis' snort, watching as he lifted a hand to casually brush his nose, hiding his smile. So he _could_ understand Juli, still… Awesome.

"Suitors?!" It was Yusuke that had cut the silence this time, his tone haggard and filled with terror, "What do you mean by suitors?!" "There will most likely be an abundant of single males," Ukyo sighed, regretfully agreeing with the perverse third son. Kaname chipped in, his tone bright and cheery, "Oh well~! That just means Imouto-chan should have us with her-!"

"Hey-hey-!" Natasha waved her hands in front of the twins quickly, Juli abandoned to Louis' shoulder and the other conversation forgotten as she tried to rouse them from their blank stares, "Wake up-! What's wrong? Tsuba-nii-?! Azu-nii-?! Snap out of it-!" She was wrapped in Tsubaki's hug a moment later, his tone bright and airy as he spun her around in a tight circle, "Imouto-chan is so cuuuute~!" Azuza sighed, pushing up his glasses before he grasped Tsubaki's shoulder, making the silver haired male pause, glancing down at the female in his arms, whose eyes were rolling around, and head bobbing as the world spun around her. "Oh, sorry, Imouto-chan~!" Tsubaki whined, pulling her into a steady hug, along with Azuza, as he cradled her between them like a sandwich, "You just look extra cute today~!"

"T- Thanks.." she murmured, feeling her vision right before she was joined by Wataru, "Waah-! Onee-chan looks so pretty-!" "Oh, Taru.." she looked down with a sudden, starry-eyed look, and she slipped out of Tsubaki's arms to scoop the younger boy in a mini-suit with matching shorts into her arms, nuzzling his nose with her own as she squealed, "You look like such a grown up, Taru-chan~!" It as clearly for his benefit, but he giggled along with her, both of the cheery children left in a bright happy bubble, surrounded by a sudden gloomy aura as others looked on in silence. "Well," Masaomi called after a minute, gathering everyone's attention respectively, "As soon as Futo comes down, we should be hitting the road."

"Dibs on riding with Imouto-chan-!" Tsubaki had her in his arms in a nano second, and Wataru was holding the other with a whine, "Ne~! I wanna ride with Onee-chan, too-!" Natasha smiled at them both gently, patting Wataru's head and nudging her shoulder with Tsubaki.. "I dunno.. Would you want to endure the torture of my singing to the radio?" "I-I'll go," Yusuke was next to call out, just as Futo came strolling in, looking as primped as he usually was, though his suit gave off a casual vibe. "You'll go where?" He asked dubiously, taking one look at Natasha before he lost his train of thought, eyeing her slowly from her shoes to her hair as she giggled with Wataru, clasping his hands in her own with glee and promising to play road games on the way. "I'll go, as well," Azuza offered, and Iori was next to call, "Me, too.."

"That's settled," Ukyo pushed up his glasses as he grabbed his keys, "Masaomi, Wataru, Natasha, Tsubaki, Yusuke, Azuza, and Iori in one car, myself, Kaname, Subaru, Louis, and Futo in the last."

There were some grumbles about wanting to ride with 'Imouto-chan' or 'Onee-chan', but everyone was successfully piled into the cars a few minutes later, and they were driving down the road.

* * *

Natasha knocked politely on the door to the dressing room that Rintarou and Miwa were in, smiling brightly after stepping inside. "Pardon the intrusion.."

The duo looked back at her in surprise, before smiles broke out on their faces, Rintarou being the first to speak, giving the girl a look of warmth, "I almost didn't recognize you.." "Isn't that a good thing?" she asked curiously, grinning as the door shut behind her and she walked further into the room. "My, oh my, oh my," Miwa bound over in the slinky dress quicker than Natasha thought possible, leaning forward to look over the younger girl with an expression of true happiness, "Girls really are such a joy~!" Rintarou walked forward to join them, but Natasha's focus was on Miwa, her grin contagious as she bowed, "Thank you very much for the dress, I especially love the color.." "It's very cute on you," Miwa stood straight as Rintarou got to her side, his hand at the small of her back lovingly, "I'm glad we decided on this one, after all.. I nearly got a pink dress, but Rintarou-chan said you preferred purple."

"You look pretty," he raven haired male smiled, and Natasha nodded in appreciation, "Ms. Miwa looks stunning though, ne, papa~?" she teased brightly, a blush on her face when her father pouted slightly, his smile toying at his lips as Miwa cooed. "Please, 'Ms. Miwa'? From now on, I'd like you to call me 'Mom'.." Natasha stilled little at that, an overwhelming joy bursting in her abdomen like a thousand monarchs as she blinked, then smiled, holding back tears as she nodded. "S-Sure thing.. K-..K-kaa-san.." she stammered, twisting her fingers in the skirt of her dress.

"You can't expect for it to happen overnight," Rintarou sighed, happy with his two most beloved females around him. Miwa sighed, but agreed, "Well, I suppose that's true.. At any rate, I look forward to having a happy life with you. I hope you are, too-!" "Yes, K-.. Kaa-san," she had less of a stutter this time, but it was a start.

Natasha left a few minutes later with a polite congratulations, before moving to walk through the halls, petting Juli's silky fur as she walked, "Miwa is such a wonderful lady, don't you think, Juli? She has such an honest, happy aura.. Papa even looked really happy.." "It would be great if that mother kept tabs on the animal brothers," Juli huffed, his expression firm. "Juli," Natasha sighed, slowing her steps as they reached the church doors, "You do realize you are an animal, right..?" He tensed at that, his tone defensive, "N-Ne-! Chii-! You _know_ what I mean.." She giggled at his flustered look, smoothing his tail carefully before looking around, eyes catching sight of the double doors to the chapel. She pulled out her phone to check for messages from the brothers, but was surprised to find a message from Natsume. She'd texted him earlier that morning, and had completely fazed off seeing if he replied, with the whirlwind of getting ready and all..

 _Me: Magic._

 _Natsu: Is that so. Was there a witch's hat beneath that hood you wore?_

 _Natsu: Sorry it took so long to respond, just got out of the shower._

 _Me: No problem, planning on taking one, myself actually, maybe watch a movie later._

 _Natsu: Do you like movies?_

 _Me: Depends on the genre, I suppose, but I like to keep an open mind._

 _Natsu: Understandable._

 _Natsu: Mind if I asked you a few things?_

 _Me: And what would that be?_

 _Natsu: I understand that meeting four times is a milestone to acquaintanceship, but I was wondering, if it could be shortened._

 _Me: Any particular reason?_

 _Natsu: I'd like to meet with you again.. If you wouldn't mind.._

 _Me: A trick to finding out my mysterious hair color?_

 _Natsu: Was it that obvious? :)_

 _Me: I don't know.._

 _Natsu: I'd let you pick the date._

 _Me: So it's a DATE now, is it?_

 _Natsu: If you want it to be._

 _Me: Well aren't you a smooth talker ;)_

 _Natsu: Is that a no?_

 _Me: That would be a maybe.._

 _Natsu: So whats the conditions to make it a yes?_

 _Me: I get to call you pumpkin. Or Ginger Schnapps. Or Apricot.._

 _Natsu: So you want to tease me with the nicknames._

 _Me: You catch on quick.._

 _Natsu: *sigh* Alright._

 _Me: When did you want to meet?_

 _Natsu: I have a family event this Saturday, but I was hoping we could grab a coffee after._

 _Me: I should probably bring an umbrella._

 _Natsu: Lest there should be a flying cappuccino?_

 _Me: Bingo._

 _Natsu: It's getting late, goodnight, Natasha-san._

 _Me: If I'm calling you pumpkin, I give you permission to call me lamb._

 _Natsu: Lamb? Like the sheep?_

 _Me: Yep. You'll see why on the date.. IF.. I decide to wear my hair down.._

 _Natsu: You like keeping them guessing, don't you..?_

 _Me: It's good to have a little bit of mystery._

 _Me: Goodnight, Natsume._

 _Natsu: Goodnight, Natasha._

 _ **Morning**_

 _Me: Rise and shine~!_

 _Natsu: Too early._

 _Me: If I have to deal with the morning, so shall you.. Didn't you say you had an important family function today?_

 _Natsu: Thank you for waking me up._

 _Me: Was that a genuine thanks or sarcasm?_

 _Natsu: Sorry, just got out of the shower, running around my apartment looking for my cuff links._

 _Me: Sounds rough, I'm getting my toenails painted. And a really nice foot massage._

 _Natsu: I'm jealous._

 _Me: :3_

 _Natsu: So, It should be over around three or so.. Is that too early to catch a movie and get dinner?_

 _Me: I would think it perfectly acceptable. Early dinners are always the best dinners.. It gives you an excuse to have desserts and snacks later through the night._

 _Natsu: I should get in my car, I'll text you later?_

 _Me: Drive safe, alright?_

She read through the conversation with a slight smile, before reading the message she'd missed, a blush painting across her cheeks as she huffed.

 _Natsu: Cross my heart, hope to die, mocha latte in my eye._

With a grin, she started tapping, then sighed, glancing once at the doors of the chapel before clicking send, and steeling herself for the inevitable awkwardness. She took a deep breath in, and let it out, snapping the phone shut and slipping it into a tiny satchel bag at her hip.

 _Me: Hardee Har Har, Pumpkin. I'll have to use that one sometime.._

She pressed open the doors with a little effort, thankful they only squeaked a little as she looked up, and gazed around the room, taking in the gorgeous works of stained glass and the architectural design.. She wasn't going to blindly follow the big guy.. But if she'd had to admit it, the churches were her main reason for visiting, loving to explore the secret rooms and look at all of the designer's thought-out beauty.

Further up the aisle, she heard a chime, the door creaking louder as she stepped inside, and she saw a figure up ahead with bright orange hair in a pristine suit, his hair bathed in the sunlight as he looked down at his phone, his expression unreadable from this distance. The door shut with a slight bang, and she nearly jumped out of her skin, gripping her arms for reassurance as she let out soft shuddering breaths.

She took a second to breath, before she looked up and out at the aisle, nearly jumping out of her skin as he was suddenly a lot closer, moving up to her until he was about three feet out, stopping in front of her with a casual, calm expression, "Can I help you with something?"

Natasha, for the show of it, blinked her eyes slowly, her head falling in a tilt as she gave him a stupefied look, her tone quiet, but incredulous, "What.."

"Only family members are permitted to be here at this time," he spoke calmly, though he seemed distracted, his hand in his pocket shifting ever so slightly, as if he had other things on his mind. ".. Natsume..?" she muttered, feeling her shoulders tense as he seemed to actually focus on her, his eyebrows furrowing in thought as he narrowed his eyes.

"Hey there."

Natasha nearly jumped at the sudden call, her hair standing on end as she spun on her heel to face the doorway, where the twelve other men, each in suits (save for Hikaru, who was sporting a lovely purple dress) stood in a procession on display, their eyes trained on them.

"Looking really cute, there~!" Tsubaki called, his tone bright, Azuza close behind, "Yeah, you look really fantastic.." Kaname added on smoothly, "Looking that cute, she just might steal the spotlight." Natasha muttered under her breath as she felt her pulse skyrocket, red painting along her skin as she pressed her fingernails into her palms, sulking a bit as she kept her back to Natsume.

"Well," Futo sighed playfully, "I guess it's a case of fine feathers making a fine bird.." "Why did that sound like an insult.." she murmured, just loud enough for Natsume to hear, as he stood with her in silence, the procession continuing without pause. "It looks very good on you," Ukyo agreed gently. "That's Louis for you," Hikaru smiled, "Expertly done." "You look so cute, Chii-chan.." Louis smiled, his eyes closing in happiness. "Yeah.." Subaru murmured, followed closely by Yusuke raising his hand in an awkward wave, "H-Hey.." "Onee-chan looks like a princess~!" Wataru chimed, bouncing on his heels as he grinned to her. She was almost tempted to glomp the poor boy..

"Agreed," Masaomi smiled to her from the side, and she returned each of their looks in kind, her entire body going rigid at Iori's added remark. "At this rate, everyone is going to be crazy for you.." "Dear god in heaven, tell me he's just being polite," she whispered in horror behind her hand, feeling tension crawl up her back, jumping nearly a foot in the air at Natsume's shout. "Hey-?!"

"Hey, there's a Natsume here.." Tsubaki drawled, and Natasha schooled her expression into a calm facade, despite her burning skin, as she turned to look back at him, his look filled with pure annoyance. "More like, you guys did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"Is the cat out of the bag?" Tsubaki pondered. While Natsume was just getting more irritated, "What's going on here? Explain."

"Natsume-san," Natasha started slowly, flexing her fists at her side as she tried to find the words, "Believe me this isn't an idea revelation, either, so.." She trailed off to silence as Tsubaki strode forward, slinging his arm around the red head and grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "This is Natsume.. me and Azuza's little brother.." Azuza was at their sides soon after, and Natasha couldn't help the blank look that came over her face. "We're triplets."

"Triplets…" she repeated the word, her tone heavy as she tried to come up with possible ways to make the situation easier on the pumpkin haired male, but none were coming to mind..

"Yup," Tsubaki grinned, oblivious to her discomfort, "Me and Azuza are identical twins. Natsume's a fraternal brother from a different egg." "And now that you've met everyone.." Ukyo spoke calmly, and her eyes watched as Azuza and Tsubaki pulled Natsume between them, dragging him back so they could join the center of the pile of males. Wataru chimed, his arms raising in the air with his excitement, "The brothers are complete-!"

 _What have I gotten myself into **this** time….._

* * *

 _This particular plane of existence wasn't by any means eye catching._

 _The expanse of space that stretched as far as the eye could see sported only slate grays. The only speck of color in his particular district came in the form of a blood red suit and bright green tie. pale skin stretched over toned muscles, and blood orange hair falling in silk-like curtains over his shoulders and hiding his right eye from view. His eyes, a sterling silver, shined with mirth on the expanse of "city" below him. Skyscrapers that reached as high as several hundred stories.. Lifeless, slate grey vehicles parked symmetrically in the dull grey streets, clear windows revealing grey offices of grey desks and grey computers.. Everything, however, was silent.. not a single_ living _soul in the entirety of the realm._

 _"I thought I would find you here, Mace.."_

 _The red head turned to glance over his shoulder, eyeing the neon-blue suit that stood out dramatically against the dull background. Said, taller male was leaner, with decent muscle, but his hair had a two toned effect, dark chocolate fading down to soft blonde near his ears, waving lightly to the end of his chin. He was decently tanned, with deep crystal blue eyes. He had a loose aura, hands stuffed in his pockets as he leaned casually against the open door of the tall building they resided._

 _"To what do I owe the pleasure, Scythe..?"_

 _While the tanned male's voice was lighter, and sounded younger, the former had a deeper, silky tone, one adopts with the fragrance of wine. The taller of the two laughed lightly, his eyes nearly twinkling a he tilted his head, "Can't an angel visit his brother..?" "No," the red-head deadpanned, turning back to look over the seemingly deserted area, "I have no time for your idle chatter.."_

 _"And what are you accomplishing here, then?" the duo-haired male grinned, watching as his comrade twitched in obvious ire. The child-like male wasn't known for being forward._

 _"What is your purpose?" the red-head snapped, clearly upset at being interrupted. He had plans to make.. And one couldn't plan a murder out loud, could they..?_

 _"We have a job~!" the blue-wearing male grinned, flashing two rows of perfectly straight white teeth._

 _"I'm listening," Mace muttered, turning to sit at the edge of the building, letting his legs dangle idly over the edge. The ground was hundreds of feet below them, but he didn't seem to mind._

 _What angel ever did?_

 _"There seems to be a new picking.."_

 _"And..?" Mace detested his brother's games, if he could just get to the point-_

 _"She isn't sided."_

 _"Oh."_

 _"Yes_ Oh _.."_

 _Mace fully turned to see his brother then, watching the male's usually neat bangs shadow his eyes. It was rare for there to be a challenge.._

 _"I'll start packing.." Mace nodded calmly, shrugging to his feet before his shoulders twitched. Two large, white wings protruded from his back, however, they were notably lacking their angelic luster. There was no soft creamy golden glow, and no ashy black undertones. Only a simple, dull white._

 _"Shall we..?"_

* * *

 **A bit of an Omake at the end... ^^**

 **Natasha: For those of you who don know, an Omake is a part of the story that happens, but does not immediately affect the main plot. However, it still makes it important.**

 **Thank you all for reading~! I really appreciate all of the reviews and favorites~!**


	16. Chapter 3 (Final)

Natasha sat, about an hour later, in the hallway of the church, relaxing against a red loveseat with Juli at her side, sighing in relaxation, despite the stressful situation pre-wedding vows. God, she was glad it was over, but still..

"Ne, Juli?" she murmured, listening to her squirrel friend perk up in attention, "The ceremony was really beautiful, wasn't it..?" She smiled slightly as she relaxed, hearing Juli's miffed grunt, "I absolutely loved it.." "It's still too early for you to start thinking about those things, Chii-!" Juli trilled, ever-on-the-lookout for the deemed 'wolves' she now resided with. "Getting married is out of the question-!" "You're making me want to elope, Juli," she pouted, innocently at her friend, and he was sent into a flurry of shocked panic, " _Waitaminutewhat_ -?!" She burst out laughing a second later, sending him a watery eyed smile as she shook her head, "I was joking- I was joking-!"

She heard footsteps nearby, glancing up to see Natsume walking by with purpose. Before she could stop herself, she was on her feet, leaving Juli on the sofa. "Natsume-san-!" He glanced at her in surprise, before turning to face her, a look of politeness on his face as she felt the words catch in her throat. "L-Listen, Natsume-san," she started, shaky, but then, with more resolve, "About earlier.."

"No," he held up a hand before she could speak, his gaze calm, "I should be the one apologizing.. Oh," he reached into his pocket, pulling out a pristine white and orange business card, holding it out to her firmly, "Sorry, it's a business card, but here's my contact information."

"That's what I've been trying to say," she finally blurt, and he lowered his hand slightly in surprise, watching as she fought to regain control of her heartbeat, a hand fisted into the cloth of the dress over her heart. "Listen, Natsume-san," she sighed, reaching up a hand to pull her bangs out of her eyes, carefully pulling the hair away from her face and pinning him with a firm look, his maroon-purple eyes locking onto her golden ones as she evened out her tone, "I.. I already have your contact information.." It was dead silent between the two of them, and she took a deep breath, before dropping her hands in defeat, "Fate is very unpredictable…" He did not respond to that, so she continued, her hands folded behind her back as she rocked on her heels, eyes downcast, "I'm sorry about meeting you like this.. I had no intention of making anything.. Awkward.."

"This.. This is a joke..?" he scoffed, and she flinched slightly, watching as he stuffed his card into his pocket, running a hand through his errant hair to dissolve the perfect auburn strands, "This is.." "Weird," she offered casually, moving to lean against the wall. "Unfortunate," he scoffed, folding his arms across his chest, eyes pinching shut as he sighed. "So… you're the CEO of that gaming company?" she waited a minute for him to calm before speaking, "I was wondering why it sounded so familiar, they make a lot of my favorite games.. And here I thought you were just a gopher.." she offered a quiet laugh, though it lightened when he sighed, a slight smile on his lips, before he frowned, and she looked away. She heard a deep, relaxed sigh, and looked up to see him with a casual, cool smile, "So, you play video games?" "Oh," she perked up at his change of attitude, her eyes lighting up as she nodded, "Yeah- like Zombie Hazard-! Man, those graphics are killer-!" "You play _that_ game-?" he sounded incredulous, and she could only bob her head in excitement, "Yosh-! I pull all nighters just to finish them-!" She stilled suddenly, his wide, blinking eyes watching as she deflated slightly, lifting a hand to rub the back of her neck, shifting on her feet, slightly, "S-Sorry.. I just get hyped, sometimes.."

She looked up to see him smile, nearly letting her mouth drop when he made a soft noise of approval in the back of his throat, "If you've beaten even the latest installment, you're pretty good.." "No-no," she giggled awkwardly, her face staining red as she looked to her shoes, "I just have this obsessive personality and I'm really stubborn.." "It.. makes me happy," he admit after a moment, his voice softer, "To hear things like that.." She looked up in surprise, and his tone lightened, "Thank you for that.. Then, would you want samples of the latest games, and things like that?"

"Y-You can _do_ that..?" She didn't want to wake up from this glorious dream.

"Yeah," he gave a slight chuckle, closing his eyes, "It'd be no problem.."

"Wait a minute-" the illusion of glitter shattered, and she gave him a blunt, steel look, "This isn't your guilty conscious for ruining my shirt, is it?" "N-No-!" he held his hands up defensively, shaking his head just a little, "It's not.. I just.. Thought you might like it.."

She sighed slightly, biting her lip, "I would, very much, appreciate it, Natsume-san.."

"Aah," he trailed off, awkwardly, looking over her head for a moment, his face going blank, before he glanced back down to her, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck, while she fiddled with her chunky golden ring. "This might, sound odd," he started after a moment, and she looked up to him with her immediate full attention, briefly fazing him before he went back to focused, "But.. How has Subaru been doing..?" "Is something wrong with Subaru..?" she asked hesitantly, Juli remained quiet at her heels.

"I've heard that he's not doing well," he explained, calmly, "He was dropped from the starting lineup, and it looks like he hasn't been able to focus on his game. "You've been.." he trailed off for a moment, as if hesitant to say it, before he shook his head to clear it, "You've been living with him, right? So, I thought, maybe you would notice something, but.." Unbidden, the flashes of her recent escapades with Subaru flashed in her mind, and she commended herself for not blushing outright, instead, schooling her facial expression into concern, "I might not know exactly what's going through his head," Natasha started calmly, before looking up to meet his eyes with fierce determination, "But you can bet I'll do my best to help you.. If he's losing his spark, all we need is a battery, and I might just know how to do so.."

He watched her for a moment, his eyes softening as she gave him a reassuring smile, and he sighed, a tiny smile of his own tilting his lips, before it faded into surprise, the sound of a phone ringing causing his hand to drop to his pocket, pulling out his device and checking the screen, before giving her an apologetic look, "It's a work call.. And, sorry for asking such a strange question.."

Natasha watched as he turned to leave, bringing the phone to his ear with a calm indifference in his tone, "Yes, this is Asahina… Oh, what the heck? That thing? That's.."

Natasha felt a chill run down her spine, feeling the overwhelming urge to to turn to her right, and, if her suspicions were correct, Hikaru-nii would be watching from behind one of the pillars. With a sigh, she shook her head, turning to Juli with a soft look, "Shall we go prepare for the gift, Juli-kun?" "Onward, Chii-!" he cheered, pointing his paw out to the veranda, and she laughed, nodding as she began to find her way to the reception area.

* * *

Natasha took a deep, steadying breath as she stood off to the side of the veranda, the makeshift stage setup with speakers, a band, and several microphones. As she had called in to ask, they were leaving a slot open for her, and she would be left to play a song, and all she was waiting for was her que. The first dance would be all on her. She gulped as the MC tapped the mic, getting everyone's ecstatic chatter to die as attention was drawn to the band. The MC smiled, waving slightly as he addressed the crowd. "Friends and family, of the Hinata-Asahina couple.." there was brief applause, and he waited for it to die, then continued, his smile cheery, "It is time for the couple's first dance-!" The applause was louder this time, and Natasha stepped out from hiding, slipping behind the piano as the MC held the attention, "And for this special dance, we received a special request from the little lady, Hinata, Natasha.." There were murmurs of surprise, and Rintarou and Miwa shared a confused look.

The MC continued, his voice warm and bright, "As a wedding gift, the little lady has offered to play and sing for the couple's first dance.." There were cheers, and polite applause, and Rintarou just looked surprised. Miwa, however, was beaming, nearly bouncing in place as he lead her to the center of the floor. The older male peaked over at the veranda as the MC instructed the rest to stand by, and he gave his little girl a smile. She was at the piano, a microphone nearby, and head ducked slightly.

Natasha took a slow, calming breath, and she waited for the applause to die down, her fingers brushing the keys for strength. And she began.

The instrumental started slow, and sweet, the notes ringing around the courtyard like an angel's harmony. It was a few, long moments, before a gentle, feminine voice joined the music, bringing to life a glorious declaration of 'Love'.

" _No more talk of darkness.. Forget these wide-eyed fears.._

 _I'm here, nothing can harm you, my words will warm, and calm you._." The audience watched in rapt awe as the couple began to waltz, and the angelic voice flowed through the reception like honey. The brothers watched in stunned silence, some with slack jaws, and others with wide eyes.

 _"Let me be your freedom.. Let daylight dry your tears…_

 _I'm here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you.."_

Rintarou smiled in pride, his wife in his arms sharing the look as they gazed deeply within each other's arms. Such a shy girl about her voice, but she stood up to do this for them..

Her voice was higher now, the warm looks of love and adoration flooding the guests and family like silk and wine, " _Say you'll love me every way, each moment.. Turn my head with talk of summertime_.." Natasha dug deep to find these feelings, putting herself in the place of Christine and letting her adoration for the Viscount flood her senses, " _Say you'll need me with you now, and always.. Promise me.. That all you say is true.. That's all I ask of you.._ "

The song lasted just shy of four minutes, and when she brought the instrument to a close, she gave a slow, deep breath, letting her shoulders sag slightly before the MC helped her to her feet, and she was turned to face the crowd. The applause was louder this time, and she watched Rintarou and Miwa bow to one another, before embracing. She smiled, tired, but happy, and allowed the MC to help her get down, before he turned his attention to the crowd, once again, "Now let's have some fun-! Congratulations to the newest couple~! Boys~! Play us in~!"

* * *

 _"And now, the bride and groom will cut the cake-!"_

Natasha snapped picture after picture of the world around her, grinning as she took candids of her official brothers, waving to them if they caught her eye, before they were pulled back into whatever conversation they had been distracted from. She lifted her camera after inspecting the quality, pausing when she saw Subaru in the main focus, his expression as he stared right back at her. To be honest, it kind of startled her. She lowered the camera to face him, directly, standing still as he strode over to her with purpose.

"Can we talk a little?" he asked firmly, and she gulped, keeping her face neutral as she nodded, allowing him to lead her toward a veranda further away from the party. He gestured for her to sit on the bench, and she did so without question, putting her hands in her lap as she watched him pace, before settling to stand with his back to her, hands in his pockets as he worked up the nerve.

"A.. About my birthday.." he started, but she was already prepared for the topic, and cut him off before he could dive too deep. "Subaru, please don't worry about it anymore," she cut in calmly, her tone reassuring and calm, "I'm really not bothered by what had happened-" _Liar,_ the feminine whisper hissed, "And it was just an accident, anyway, right?"

"No," he stated firmly, and she looked up to meet his sharp eyes, almost blushing at the intensity, "Let me apologize properly.." He tilted his head down slightly, and she could hear the finality in his tone, "I'm sorry." She listened as his voice got softer, though his expression remained, his eyes sliding shut so he didn't back out, "I never thought that you were a pain.. Please believe me.."

"Subaru," she huffed, narrowing her eyes as he met her own in a slight stare-down, "How many times do I have to say you're forgiven.. And I do believe you.." a wry smile touched her lips as she tilted her head, "You wouldn't have apologized at all if you thought I was a pain, especially after I already told you that it was fine.. Your actions proved you sincere about ten minutes after the incident, so I never was mad.." He sighed, relieved, as he looked to her for a moment, then raised his arm, dismissing himself, "Th-Then.."

Natasha sighed as she moved back to the party, almost having a heart attack at the sight of long golden hair, and a pristine white suit. She wanted to call out, but that would likely make her a fool, so, instead, she walked forward, brushing his arm as she passed him, while he was snacking on a chocolate dipped.. Chocolate..?

Arrow turned to look at her in surprise, before holding out a chocolate covered strawberry, though she pretended he didn't exist, and he sighed, "To answer your unspoken question, I just got off of duty, and came here to check up on you.." She shot him a sideways glance, and he rolled his eyes, "This is _your_ fault.. If Id have remained oblivious, I would have never gotten addicted to human's cocoa products." "So serious," she murmured, smiling around the bite of chocolate, "So does everything you touch disappear?" "As long as it's not living or attached to something living," he replied calmly, snacking gently as a group of women a few yard away had their backs to them, jumping in eager anticipation while they fawned about something, "Human traditions.. I will never understand them.." "Eh," she shrugged her shoulder, shaking her head as she held out her arms in a what-can-you-do shrug, "It's not like like it's directly going to affect me.. To tell you the truth I can't even remember much about this-" something heavy hit her outstretched, right hand, and her fist closed around it out of reflex, her eyes going wide as she peered over at the bundle of cream colored puffballs now in her palm, blinking with an expressionless mask, "..part.."

Arrow burst out laughing at her, holding his sides in mirth as she brought the bundle closer, trailing her eyes up to see Miwa with a winking eye and a secretive smile. She glanced back down at the flowers, jumping slightly as she realized that all of her brothers were now lined up, and close by, just a short fifteen feet out, maybe, facing her with expectant smiles.

"Congratulations-!"

"It's settled-! The next bride is you-!"

"Maybe I'll put in a reservation," she finally looked up to see Tsubaki, grinning per the norm. "Tsubaki," Azuza reprimanded lightly, "Let's leave that sort of thing for another time.""What, another time? Like when?" "Alright," Kaname cut in, sighing, "Leave it at that for today.."

"Well then," Masaomi cleared his throat, giving her a beaming smile, "Allow us to say this formerly, once again.." "We apologize for doing it in this setting," Ukyo smiled, "But.." "It's _because_ we're in this setting, right?" Hikaru smiled. "This is a little embarrassing, but.." Yusuke trailed off, a blush painting his cheeks. "This is how we feel," Iori concluded calmly. "Ready! Set!" Wataru raised his arm, as if starting a race.

"Welcome to the Asahina family-!"

* * *

 _"All set?" The red head glanced over from his scroll to eye the room's intruder with immediate distaste. "Did I not ask that my room be put off limits?"_

 _"You did, but I simply don't care," the two-toned hair of Scythe glinted in the crisp artificial light, and he sent his counterpart a flashy grin, "So,_ are _you ready to leave?"_

 _"Yes," the shorter male muttered, clearly unhappy with the reach of personal space, but unable to do anything.._

 _Rank sucked, sometimes..._

 _"Where do we start?" Mace asked casually, flicking the scroll out of the immediate realm and stretching the muscles of his back. Surely, wherever they were going, there as going to be quite a bit of flying.. Portals in this world were few and far between, then there was the matter of_ where _they would eventually wind up.._

 _"Simple," the taller grinned, though all races of childish humor had faded, a sort of subtle, sinister smile on his lips as his back faced his partner, eyes watching the gray expanse of Limbo out of the corporal's suite window._

 _"We track the blonde twit that tails her."_

* * *

 **I am accepting fanart~!**

 **PM me for my email address if you become interested~!**


	17. Chapter 4: Part 1

"Im-ou-to-chan~!""

Tsubaki's voice cut through her door as Natasha was pulling her night shirt up over her stomach, the burns had all but disappeared, and only leaving tiny splotches that would fade with time. She heard him call again, his excited knocks waking her up further from her sleepy changing as she yawned, moving to open her door, regardless of her state of dress, eyes lidded half-mast as she pulled it open with a tired smile. "Hey, 'baki-nii.. Good morning…" "Good morning to you as well, Imouto-chan-!" He chirped, using the doorway as leverage as he held up a rectangular piece of paper, a flier, out to her chest, "Me and Azuza are hosting a videogame conference today-! We wanted to know if you want to come-!"

"Video game conference..?" she repeated softly, lifting a hand to rub at her eyes.. What time was it..? "Aah," he nodded, his smile pinching to the corners, " _Panzer of the Dead_.. We have the lead roles for the game and were announcing the making of the game to the public to get them hyped-!" _Man she looks so cute.. Ah- Wait.. Was she..? Did she not put on..?_ "Aah..?" it sounded more like a question now as he took a half step back, taking in her form completely. Her hair was in a disarray, hastily pulled back into a bun at the back of her head, sleepy, drooping eyes, her mouth pouting.. A long sleeved black and white striped shirt, that fell to mid thigh.. Her legs were a creamy pale color.. His breath caught as he fell quiet, and she woke up a little, stretching her arms as she tilted her head, "Tsubaki, what's wrong..?" "Imouto.." he murmured, his voice oddly strained as he forced his eyes to close, "Are you.. Wearing pants..?"

"Huh..?" she fumbled, her face blank as she stared at him, his free hand smacked his face, covering his eyes, until he heard a tiny, feminine giggle. He lowered his hand slowly, watching as she shook her head, a hand on her stomach as she grinned to him, "Wanna find out..?" He stilled at that, rooting in place as he watched her hook her thumbs into her shirt, then lifting the hem.

He expected panties, or, at the very least, a scrap of cloth, but when the shirt reached her belly button, and he forced himself not to run away with a nosebleed, he was stunned to silence at the lack of color, blinking in shock when she traced the hem of a pair of skin-tight, _skin-toned_ leggings. "I wear them under my skirt," she explained calmly, "Even if it goes against school rules. This way I have the comfort of pants in the awful contraption of a skirt or dress.. I wore them to the wedding, too.." Tsubaki blushed scarlet at the little revelation, but broke out of it with a laugh, bringing his hand up to her hair and drawing her into a tight hug against his chest, much to her surprise, "Aah-! My Imouto-chan is so smart-!" "Aniki.." she hissed, "N.. Need.. Air.."

"Oi-.. Tsuba-nii- why are you being so loud in the morning?" Natasha looked over Tsubaki's shoulder to make eye contact with Yusuke, the red head stopping in surprise as he took in the sight, before he fumed.. Like a Tsundere…

"Tsubaki-!" he snapped, moving forward to tug on his older brother's shoulder, the silver haired male releasing the girl, who took a large, dramatic gasp of air, pretending to swoon against the doorjamb with a flair of her hand, "My poor lungs..~"

"Ne, Yusuke," Tsubaki pouted, rolling his eyes, "I was giving Imouto-chan her morning hugs.." "That's not the-" the redhead started, but stopped, his breath hitching as he turned to give his new sister a passing look, that turned into a double take, and finally settled on a stare. Natasha let her dramatic swoon fade, before she peered up at him, her eyebrows tugging together in confusion, "Yusuke..?"

He just continued to stare at her, his face going from its boyish tan, to blossom pink, blazing red/orange, then overripe tomato. "Yusuke..?" she repeated, concern leaking into her tone, "What's wrong?"

The situation clicked with Tsubaki, first, and he burst out laughing a moment later, leaning onto the suddenly stiff redhead's shoulder as he guffawed, tears pricking the corner of his eyes in his weakness. Natasha shook her head slowly, glancing between the two before she turned on her heel, grasping the door handle and pulling herself back into the room, before shutting it, locking it a moment later before she called through the wood. "I'll accept your offer, Tsubaki-nii-! Just give me a minute to change-!"

"W-What does she mean by ' _offer_ '-?!"

She'd barely grasped the drawer of necessities when a shout permeated the wood, and she shook her head, smirking slightly as Juli stirred, before hopping up, stretching like a feline before he trotted to her desk, "Morning, Chii-!" Hopping onto the surface to be near her, he watched as she dug through her drawers, -realizing what the contents were- and promptly turned around, tail puffed in embarrassment. "Honestly, Chii-!" he huffed, shaking out his fur, "You really shouldn't get into the habit of changing in the open-!" "Door's locked," she hummed, pulling on a pair of sleek white pants, a grey t-shirt, and a white sleeveless vest. "It's only you in here.." Juli pretended not to feel insulted. She searched through her closet shelves before finding a grey beanie, taking it to the desk as she slid into her chair, reaching for the white wood ornamental jewelry box Arrow had provided and digging around gently. A few moments later, she pulled out a pin that looked like a glowing purple butterfly. She pinned the clip into the beanie as she put it on her head, setting it so it as offset above her right temple, fixing her bangs so they would frame her face, a few strands betraying her to brush her nose, before she stood to find a nice purple scarf, finishing off the look with a pair of plum purple cargo boots. She slipped a black winter jacket over her shoulders, the hood with a grey fur trim down to keep her hair untouched.

She slung her black messenger bag over her shoulder, before she stuck her tongue out at the mirror, before sighing, pecking Juli's cheek as she set out his water and food, "I'm going to go out for a bit today, do some shopping and all that.." she tilted her head gently as she leaned against the wall separating her bedroom from the reception room, "Is there anything you'd like me to pick up?"

"Just be safe, Chii, alright?" he grumbled, scurrying up to paw at her ankles, before she bent down, scooping him into a hug, before setting him down with a good-natured pat upon the head, "I will assume that meant walnuts and cashews." "Chii.." he muttered, and she laughed, pulling a small purple cylinder out of her pocket to show the animal, "If anything bad happens, I have this, alright?"

"Pepper spray?" he sniffed, before sneezing, and nodding in approval, "Well.. I feel a little better, about it, then.."

* * *

Natasha exit the room with a serene sigh, flinching when she caught sight of the two males leaning against the hallway wall across from the door, obviously waiting for her with subtle, glaring expressions toward one another, though Tsubaki still had his signature smile, Yusuke with a signature scowl. "I'm ready to go.." she got their attention quickly, as if she'd banged a gong, suddenly nervous as she felt their eyes snap to her, glancing over her ensemble in unison, before Tsubaki swooped forward, grasping her hands before tugging her toward the hallway, "Alright, Imouto-chan~ Azuza and I are heading out to a cafe for breakfast~ You'll be coming with us so we can get our coffee fix before the event." "Wait-!" she dug her slippers into the wood, but it only caused her to be pulled around in a semi-comfortable position without having to really move, Tsubaki doing literally all of the work, "Isn't Yusuke coming? That's why he was there, right?" Tsubaki suddenly stopped, the momentum driving the female forward until she smacked into his back with her face, pulling back a step to rub her nose carefully as he looked down at her in surprise, his fingers still curled around hers as his eyebrows furrowed. "Yusuke..?" he repeated, lifting an eyebrow as he peered down at her in playful suspicion, "Oh~? Does Imouto-chan want Yusuke to come along..? Why is that..?"

"What are you implying?" she snorted, though it slightly stung, before she sighed, freeing her hands before she moved to go past him, his sneaky grin following her as she moved to go to the kitchen, she was surprised, however, when she saw a winded Yusuke panting lightly in front of Azuza, who was standing absently with his arms over his chest. They both looked up at the sound of her footsteps, and Natasha looked from one to the other, back and forth, before she walked up to Yusuke, putting a hand on his back, pressing the heel of her palm into the dip between his shoulder blades, hearing his sudden sharp exhale, before he inhaled, unhindered, and began to breath more easily.

"Yu-nii sure is fast," she giggled, missing his blush as she looked up to Azuza, who bid her good morning. She stepped back to let Yusuke up after a moment, and she was informed that he was tagging along. She flipped a double thumbs up with a grin, "Awesome."

Tsubaki pouted at her eager expression, but schooled it into an effortless grin, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he steered her toward the door, "Well, come on, beloved little sister-! Let's go get that breakfast-!" "Coffee-!" she cheered, rushing out of his arms to bolt for the door. Azuza laughed softly when she'd disappeared, Yusuke only huffing in exhaustion as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, moving to follow the twins as they straggled behind the suddenly alert female.

* * *

Natasha stood at the back of the crowd gathered around the stage of the event hall, the railing Yusuke stood on beside her raised just so that they were nearly an entire head taller than the crowd on her part, though Yusuke was nearly two heads taller… _Feh.. tall people, and their tallness.._

Natasha politely cheered and applauded when appropriate, her fingers raising to her lips to give a loud, wolf call of approval when it was over, the cheering of the crowd paired with the whistle nearly even in volume. It wasn't ten minutes later that she found herself being pulled off by the wrist, looking up in surprise to see Yusuke helping through the hall like mission impossible. -Most likely to avoid the fangirls that had attended the gathering- They'd briefly run into a guard, where they were nearly thrown out after being found in a staff-only area, until, much to their luck, Azuza showed up, calling out to them, still in costume, waving them down like a taxi as he jogged over. After a quick explanation to the guard, who promptly apologized, they were on their way to the dressing room, Natasha barely making it in the door, waiting for Azuza to close the door behind him before she pulled the streamer popper from her bag, shooting it off (much to Yusuke's horror) and grinning at the twin's shocked faces, "Way to go~! Well done~!"

Tsubaki and Azuza shared matching smiles, and she blew an errant lock of hair from her face, giving Yusuke a curious look as the twins thanked her, the redhead tense and glaring at the tiny popper in her open palm. "Ne, Yusuke?" she called, and his immediate attention snapped to her face as she gave him a gentle smile, "Sorry, I guess I should have warned you.."

"I-It's fine.." he muttered after a minute, leaning up against the window with his arms folded stubbornly over his chest. She sighed, shaking her head as she turned back to the brothers with a smile, tuning into the conversation with ease. "Come on," Tsubaki smiled, both boys with a water bottle in hand, "toast with us-!"

"Aah," she pouted, her brow furrowing, "But I didn't do anything to help.." "You're our sister," Azuza plucked a bottle of tea from the cooler, turning to walk over to her with smooth strides, "You're totally a part of this.." He held it out to her gently, and she smiled, meeting his eyes. "Tea okay with you?" he asked politely, and she grinned, nodding with vigour, "Thank you, very much." "So," he asked, his smile warm, "Did you have fun?" Tsubaki cut in from further behind, his voice ripe with pride, "I was super cool, wasn't I, Imouto-chan~?" "Are you kidding me?" she looked astounded, and they watched in surprise as she hopped in place, energy reviving with extremity as she practically vibrated in place, "That was totally epic-! You guys were so awesome-! I'm a firm believer that a person's soul can be felt through their voices and you guys are living proof to my theories-!" She flipped her hands up in peace signs toward them, her eyes pinched shut and her grin wide, "But actually, you guys are way too high-key to only be awesome-! Maybe Formidable-! Or Magnificent-!"

"I'm.." Azuza recovered first, before a breathtaking smile spread across his face, "Thank you.. I'm happy to hear that.." "Imouto-chan is so sweet~!" Tsubaki cried from further in the room, suddenly appearing over Azuza's shoulder and clinging to him with crocodile tears, "What did we do to receive such a sweet little sister~?"

"Oh, that reminds me," Natasha lowered her hands, pulling the tea bottle closer so she could open the cap, "When is the release date of the game? It looks pretty awesome, story-line wise.."

The two stilled from their positions, though Tsubaki looked thoughtful, and Azuza looked cool, per ushe. Tsubaki being the one to answer as he casually untangled himself from his brother, "I think it's being released next year.." "I'll have to internet stalk the company.." she mused idly, though she seemed brush-off about the subject, Yusuke looked mildly surprised, blushing, Azuza looked curious, and lighting hit Tsubaki like a god-sent order from heaven.

"Hey, I could always check with Natsume.. His company is the one releasing the game," he grinned brightly toward his sister, mistaking her surprise at the name for enthusiasm about the game. "N-.. Natsume-san..?" She repeated, cautious. Tsubaki nodded, cheerfully, "Oh-! I know-! I'll ask him to send you a disk of the game in development-!" "Huh-?!" Natasha's eyes went wide as she gripped the tea bottle, tightly, it was a wonder it hadn't exploded, yet.. "Seriously-?! You can do that?"

"Just leave it to me~!" he boasted, Natasha resisting the urge to tackle him in absolute glee.

"You know," Yusuke called casually, boredom in his eyes, "I'm here, too.." He didn't look like the type to not involve himself in an important interaction. "Oh, you're still here?" Tsubaki feigned surprise, and Yusuke jerked in annoyance. "Anyway.." Yusuke continued, with an obvious hint of passive aggression, "You're toasting, but all you have back here is water and tea?"

A bottle of tea was tossed into Yusuke's hands, and Natasha made a gooooooaaaaaaal symbol with her arms, blowing whispered cheers of an imaginary crowd as Azuza spoke, her actions background noise as he explained, "We have the afternoon session coming up." "Besides," Tsubaki agreed coolly, leaning against the table as he relaxed, "We've got an important audition, later, so no alcohol for us."

"An audition _after_ you spend the entire day at a convention?" Natasha sounded incredulous, goal forgotten as she eyed them in surprise, she seriously should catch up on the series tonight.. She wasn't remembering all of these little details very accurately..

"Yeah," he beamed, delighted at her tone of concern, "It's still top secret, so I can't tell you the title.. But the anime that got us into being voice actors got greenlit to do a new series, and they're holding an audition for the lead role.." "Ooooh.." Natasha murmured, listening in rapt awe. "More like 'just you', not 'us'," Azuza teased, smiling good naturedly.

"I set out to become a voice actor, and that influenced you to become one, too," Tsubaki replied. "What show lead you guys to become voice actors?" Natasha asked after a moment, and the surprise on the twins faces showed she caught them off guard. Yusuke hummed behind her, and she spun on her heel, watching as he lifted a hand to his chin, "Hmm.. the show that inspired you to become a voice actor.." a lightbulb went across his eyes, "Oh.. that.." Natasha jumped back in surprise when Tsubaki was suddenly on him, a hand over the red heads mouth, and she resisted the urge to fall backward with a squeak, a hand over her chest to calm the racing heart there, beating.

"I told you it's top secret, didn't I?" Tsubaki repeated sternly, Yusuke mumbling and grunting through his hand in the struggle, "You better not talk about it at school or anything until it's announced.." Eager to have the hand off of his face, the redhead finally pried the male's fingers away enough to rasp, "R-..Right.."

Natasha stood nearby Azuza, watching the scene with a patient smile. She'd get them to spill the beans, later.. "I wish you good luck for the audition," she sighed, contently as she watched her brothers tussle, "It's nice seeing people put in the work to go for their dreams.." "Thank you, Imouto-chan," Tsubaki smiled, standing up straighter as he and Yusuke straightened out their clothes, "But even though I don't have any real basis for saying this, I just feel sure about this one.."

"Now don't jinx yourself," Natasha warned turning to swing her head around, bolting for a wall and knocking three times, before striding back over to her spot, at their confused looks, she smiled, shaking her head, "To get rid of a jinx, you have to knock on wood three times.

"Well," Azuza smiled, "When Tsubaki says that, he's never wrong." "Azu-nii~!" Natasha whined, turning on her heel and marching for the door, knocking sharply three times before facing them with a pout, "Jinx are serious business~!" "Wait- but aren't you doing the audition too, Azu-nii?" Yusuke asked after a moment, his.. Little sister's.. Mannerisms were becoming a lot easier to.. Not understand.. But.. roll with.. maybe..?

"Well, yeah," he shrugged, his voice cool, "but the part I'm auditioning for isn't the lead, but for the role of the hero's rival.." "Ooooh…" Natasha whispered, glancing between them briefly before grinning, "The two of you co starring as rivals sounds like a good idea-!" "Right?" Tsubaki smiled, cheeky and relaxed, "Once we get the roles, you'll be the first to know, so expect good news.." Natasha groaned softly at that, his eyes growing slightly wide as she faced palmed, then lifted her hands in surrender. "Nope.. Nope- I'm not knocking the wood again. Three is my limit." The boys laughed at that, all three of them giving some sort of amused reaction at her childlike pout and burning face. Natasha hid a smile, closing her eyes as she basked in the familial glow.

It was nice..

* * *

 _Arrow sighed as he thumbed through the dull creme folders in the file cabinet. The guard on duty, after seeing the ranking rings on his fingers, didn't question him as he went to check his client's file._

 _Said file, unlike the majority of the others in the propositional guardian records, was much thinner, and held a lot less helpful information than he'd hoped._

 _"So much for Axe's advice.. What am I supposed to do without-"_

 _His voice cut off as he held the folder out of the confinement of the cabinet. He blinked slowly down at the burnt corner, his eyes narrowing sharply as he practically tore it open._

 _Thin.. He'd assumed it was because she'd died pre-record, but.._

 _Missing information.._

 _"...Shit."_


	18. Chapter 4: part 2

"I'm baaaack~!" Natasha sang, waltzing down the stairs after taking off her shoes and putting on the comfy slippers, taking a hallway to find Ukyo in the kitchen, already clad in his adorable apron, and Juli nearby, watching him cook. "Chii-" She felt the squirrel hop onto her shoulder, and she nuzzled him affectionately while he panicked, "Was everything okay? You had Tsubaki and Yusuke with you, so I was worried.." "It was so fun, Juli," she answered instead, watching as Ukyo took off his apron, folding it over his arm carefully. "Would you mind if I leave things here, to you? I have a trial tomorrow, and would like to prepare for it.." "Hey, no problem," Natasha grinned, lifting a hand to salute as she gave him a smile, "If you want, I can bring it up for you later, in case you're too busy to come down." Thank you," he smiled, his eyes softening ever so slightly, "Incidentally, Wataru is the only one who has finished eating." he turned his torso and glanced at the chart. "Tsubaki and Azuza both have work. Iori is attending lectures. Louis is working a late shift.. And the schedule indicates they'll all be eating out.. The rest of them appear not to have anything going on.. But no one has come home.." "Oh-!" she perked up slightly, smiling sheepishly as she relayed the message, "Yusuke-nii said he was dropping by a bookstore to pick up some mock tests and a few more study guides.."

"I see," he sighed, almost in resignation, "If he plans on attending the same college as you, he will need to put in a certain amount of effort, after all.. I am relieved to hear Yusuke seems aware of that fact, in his own way." Natasha smiled, jolting at the sharp feeling of a buzz in her pocket, laughing in embarrassment when Ukyo gave her a smile, she rubbed the back of her neck as she pulled out her phone, flipping open the screen to see the message, and nearly feeling her eye balls roll out of her sockets. How did the brat even get her number..? "That twisted popstar, huh?" Juli scoffed, annoyed.

"Futo..?" she sounded stupefied as she opened it completely, scrolling down to read it.

 _Futo(BRAT): The taping for the year-end special is running late, so I'll be staying overnight, today.. Once I have time, let's watch another movie together. My adorable Onee-chan.. 3_

 _"Hssssssssssss!"_

Natasha flicked Juli's cheek gently, calming him down, "Don't take him seriously, Juli.."

"So, what did Futo say?" Ukyo asked, curiosity peaking in his tone, though she brushed it off as concern, "It looks like his taping session is running late, so he won't make it.." she rolled her eyes as she closed the phone, "I'd lecture him about eating with the family, but no one else is here, either.." "I see," he nodded, but both of them jumped this time, when Change the World started blaring from her pocket, and she whipped out the phone again, bringing it to her ear, "Moshi Moshi?" she breathed brightly, giving Ukyo an apologetic smile.

"Hello, Imouto-chan~" Kaname's smooth voice poured across the line, and she resisted the urge to knock her head into the wall, so it was that time of the anime. "Kaname-san," she sighed, eye twitching at Juli's grumbled insult, "Juli, hush," she whispered quickly, before tuning back into the phone. "I was planning on having dinner with you, tonight, but I've gotten stuck with having to go eat with a patron." "Alright, I understand," she sighed, smiling slightly as she rubbed a her forehead, "It's work, so it's a valid reason." "That was cold, don't you think?" she could nearly hear his pout, and she glanced disbelievingly at the phone, before putting it back to her ear, "What I'd really like to hear you say is 'Aww~'.."

Juli took the phone out of her hand in a flash, and she watched, dumbfounded, hand still poised by her head, as Juli started chittering into the receiver, "You damn degenerate monk-! Stay in your temple and don't come out-!" And promptly hung up, like a boss. "J-Juli-?!" Natasha was torn between scolding him and laughing at his sass.. At least he didn't use the B word.. This time..

"You hung up on him.." Natasha huffed, both figures tensing when it immediately started to sing Rockabye. "The bastard doesn't know when to stop-" and there it was. He was promptly lifted by the scruff of his neck and set on the table, his owner turning her back to him sharply after he'd caught her scathing look of reprimand. He still didn't understand why out of all of the curse words he used, it was the only one she had a problem with..

"Yo," her tone was a little sharper this time, though she'd cooled it down considerably. "It's me." "Masaomi," she breathed, then sighed, "Gomen. What can I do for you?"

Ukyo's eye twitched behind her, while Juli's paws clenched and unclenched, reaching toward his mistress in vain. "That seemingly harmless elder son, huh? He's a damned scoundrel for calling Chii directly-!" He received a sharp finger pointed at him for quiet, and he went silent, while she continued to listen to the phone.

"So, hey, I have a patient who took a sudden turn for the worse, so I can't come home.." he breathed through the phone, and she could hear the anxiety and exhaustion in his voice, though she could admit he was properly trained to mask it from others. She however.. "Now wait just a second," she started calmly, putting a hand on her hip as she closed her eyes, letting her hearing sharpen with the lack of a sense, "Didn't you stay the night last night? This will be a forty eight hour thing, won't it.. Are you sure you can handle that?" She could hear something shrill in the background, so she sped up her words, "I admire your willingness to help, but I'm not letting you miss a meal-! I'll bring a change of clothes and some food to the hospital later for you-" and she swiftly hung up, already hearing him try to do so himself, in a polite way. She held the phone to he chest with a sigh, closing her eyes as she pinched the crease between her eyebrows, steadying her heartbeat. Well, now she had something to do, later..

With a sigh, she turned to Ukyo, who had a slightly troubled expression on his face, his brow was creased, and his mouth ever so slightly hinted at a frown. "It seems Masaomi will be staying in the hospital again, tonight.." She reached up a hand to scratch at the back of her head, a headache forming, "I'll put together some food and clothes and take them out to him later.." She looked up at him in surprise for a moment, her eyebrows creasing in worry.

"I see.." he stated calmly, his gaze flitting elsewhere as he continued to speak, "but why are they all calling your cell phone?" "Uhh," she muttered, blankly, unable to really answer that..

"Such calls had always used to come to me, so.." Ukyo tucked his head down a bit, before turning to leave. "O-Oh," realization hit her like a.. Well a truck.. And she reached out a hand in silence as he turned his back to her to put his apron away, "Then, I will leave the rest to-"

Arms wrapped around his stomach, holding him in place as a body pressed into his lower back, a face pressed there as well, and he paused, still and unmoving, as the hissing of the squirrel became white noise in the background, and he could feel the breath against his back, and a strong, beating heartbeat racing against his own. "Ukyo," she murmured, feeling a shudder run up his spine beneath her cheek, though she kept her eyes closed tightly, her face flushed in mortification, "No one could ever replace you.. You've practically been everyone's mom for the longest time.. I think.. this is their way.. of trying to spread out the stress they put on you.." she felt him shift in her arms, his torso turning so he could probably look over his shoulder, though she kept her face buried in his shirt, eyes pinched shut. "No one could replace you, Aniki.."

Ukyo gazed down at his little sister's pink face, feeling the warmth of her skin seep through his suit shirt, before he lifted his hand, patting at her hands, though they just barely made it around his waist to touch. She released him after a moment, her head down as she turned her face away, an arm raised to hide her face as she looked away. She felt a large, warm hand slip into the strands of her hair, half of it escaping from her weak bun and flying around her head in a flurry of cotton candy wisps. "Thank you.." His words caught her off guard, and she snapped her eyes up to blue ones in surprise, her already flushed face turning several shades brighter before her Tsundere kicked in, and she spun on her heel, marching over to the sink and tugging up her sleeves harshly, moving to wash her hands, "It wasn't anything special.. Just don't make that face again.. It doesn't suit you.."

He smiled toward her back, watching her take out her energy into the pans before he shook his head, moving to go down the hall toward one of the offices.

"I'm home-!" a voice called a few minutes later, and Natasha lifted her partially cooled face to see Subaru striding through the door, the sleeves of his Meiji hoodie rolled up his arms and unzipped down the front. He looked relaxed and happy, and she was sure as hell not going to ruin it. "Welcome back-!" she smiled, moving to start putting away the already clean dishes, moving to get a few plates ready. If the timeline stayed true, it would only be those two for dinner.

"Hm?" he looked around in surprise, and she moved to help Juli off of the counter, giving him one last reprimanding look before she put him in the diningroom, before moving to set out the places, "Where is everyone?"

"Everyone else is either coming in late or staying out," she rolled her eyes, setting out two bowls and plates of everything, moving to pour a glass of water for him, "Dinners almost set up, so you can chill in there for now.." "T-Thanks," he called, moving to sit at the table as she brought out two bowls of rice, setting one beside him before moving to sit in her seat across and to the right of him, Juli hovering near the end of the table solemnly. He could tell when he was in trouble..

Especially when she'd shoot him a stern look every time he so much as sighed.

"Itadakimasu," the two humans synchronized, before they started eating. Natasha watched for a moment while Subaru began shoveling the food into his mouth, before she shrugged it off, turning to her food with gusto once she remembered she hadn't eaten since breakfast.. She was too busy shopping for Tsubaki, Azuza's, Natsume's and Wataru's birthday presents. All of which needed to be wrapped and hidden before the next person decided that invading her privacy seemed like a fun daily activity.. Which usually wound up being Tsubaki or Futo.. The latter usually having more intention than the first...

It took him all of six and a half minutes to eat, though to be fair, she was three fourths of the way done when he'd set down his glass, "I'm done.. Thank you for the food." He stood from his chair swiftly, piling all of his dishes onto his plate and turning to go into the kitchen. The sight of him cleaning up his dishes brought a smile to her lips, and she lifted the glass to her mouth, drinking slowly as images of an hour long argument with Futo about how she wasn't a maid and if he didn't want to wear what he did not eat, he'd pick up his plate and do his dishes.. Hell-! Even Wataru cheered about wanting his Onee-chan to teach him how to do dishes-!

The other brothers seemed to learn from Futo's mistake after he'd walked out with sauce on his face and rice in his hair.. Still having to clean his dishes in the end, _and_ apologize to his sister for making a mess. What a lovely Tuesday..

"Right now, I've been dropped from the line-up and I'm not in any games.." she looked up to see him facing her again, his stance and face set in a determined way, "but I'll get back into the regular line-up for sure, so.." his face was dusted with pink, and she carefully lowered her glass to the table, meeting his serious slate grey eyes with her gentle golden ones. "When I do.. I want you to come and see me play.." He moved to leave, but she'd already sprung to her feet, nearly causing him to drop his dishes in surprise as she sent him a disarming, beaming grin, "You're inviting me to a game?! Awesome-! I've been wanting to see you play for ages-!" If she were a dog, there was no doubt in his mind that her tail would be causing a tornado to the house behind her, eyes lit up and hands fisted in the table in front of her, as if they would stop her from jumping over it to.. To what..? Hug him..? To-.. Nope. Stop it there, Subaru.. He internally smacked his conscious, flushing faintly as he pushed the errant thought away, before he nodded, mumbling an excuse about his dishes before turning on his heel and practically bolting for the kitchen. Her eyes narrowed slightly at his retreating back, before she tilted her head, and shook it off, sitting back down to finish her food at a similar pace. She needed to get finished so she could get a bag together for Masaomi and walk to the Hospital before it got too late.

After she'd finished washing and drying her dishes, she put them away with a sigh, moving to give Juli a stern look, "Alright, I'm going out for a bit.." "But Chii-!" he started, only to get cut off by her sharp look. "No Juli," she snapped, and he was silent as they entered her room, and she set him on her bed, moving to grab one of the fluffier, soft fur covered pillows and place it in the center, as well as grabbing a large folded quilt to set atop it. "I'm angry at you right now. I've told you multiple times how much i don't like that term. And you still keep using it. I've heard it twice now in the past two days, and I'm grounding you." "What-?!" he gasped, moving to hop onto her desk, watching as she tore through her closet, avoiding her harsh searching on the end where Miwa's dress was stored. "Chii-"

"Juli," she muttered, and he stopped, watching as she threw a big grey button up shirt, and black sweatpants, as well as a crisp white shirt and comfortable khakis into the pile, folding them carefully as she spoke, "I need a little bit okay.. I hate that word with a passion.. It's not something I like to think about, okay.." "But.. why?" he asked hesitantly, and she paused, giving him a slight smile, "Let's just say I don't have a very nice past life.." She pulled a small travelling suitcase from beneath her bed, unzipping it quickly before stowing in the items, also adding a pair of long white socks and a spare toothbrush, a mini toothpaste, traveler's floss, shampoo, conditioner, and a comb.

She zipped it all together carefully, smirking in silence as it internally shrunk, and lightened, the immediate pulse behind her eyes completely worth it as she soothed the headache, before grinning, moving to shoulder the suitcase as she grabbed her jacket and shoes, tucking her phone, wallet, and keys in her pocket before she hurried to leave the house.

It was easier than she imagined to hail a cab, an older woman pulling up and accepting the fifty percent tip after Natasha had been dropped off outside of the Hospital with a snort of surprise, though she surely didn't question it.

Natasha let the suitcase roll into the front entrance as she came in, letting the long handle drag behind her as she walked up to the receptionist man at the desk, his scrubs pristine as he looked between a chart, his computer screen, and talking with the phone cradled in his ear. Never had she been more impressed with a hospital secretary. She waited politely until he'd set down the phone, before he looked up to her, placing the things down and giving her his full attention. "What can I do for you, Miss? Is there an emergency?" While she knew that she would have needed to go to the emergency entrance for such an issue, she knew that was not her purpose, instead, she tugged at the collar of her grey trench coat, pulling it down to reveal her chilled with cold lips so she could smile, "Yes, I was wondering if Doctor Asahina had a few minutes to speak.."

"Do you have an appointment?" he sounded skeptical, looking her over with sudden suspicion, and she couldn't help but burst out laughing, startling the poor man who had no doubt been thinking of calling the security to relieve a stalker of the premises. "I'm his sister," she smiled, bending down to lift the suitcase into view, the receptionist's eyes trailing to her bag, "He called saying he wouldn't make it for dinner, and before I cut him off, he said he was staying the night. I brought food and clothes. Plus a pillow and blanket for when he inevitably passes out." The man before her chuckled slightly, holding up a finger for her to wait a minute, and she stepped back with a polite nod. He looked at a chart taped above the phone, running his finger down a list of names, before typing out the number, holding the phone to his lips, and waiting. After a few moments, a voice picked up on the other end, and he nodded in acknowledgement, "Hey Ayame-san, It's Hiro.."

There was a pause, then, "No, I have a question for Asahina-san. Is he free right now?" Another pause, "I'd like to know if he could come on the phone for a second. There's a woman here to see him." Natasha heard the voice on the other end get louder, and Hiro glanced at her softly, before biting back a smile, "No, I actually don't know their relationship.." Another pause.. "But wouldn't that be rude..?" A whiny crackle of static. "Please get Asahina, Ayame-san," he met Natasha's eyes, and his wink nearly made her lose her shit laughing. This was comedy gold.

There was a moment of silence, where the man behind the desk lifted his hand, checking his nails, before leaning back casually in his rotary chair, twirling the cord around his fingers while Natasha braced herself against the counter, a hand over her mouth as she tried to control her breathing. It would not look good to look like a demented person while visiting a hospital..

"Masao-kun~!" the man chimed, suddenly, and she clenched her teeth in an effort not to laugh, he was either infatuated with the man (although it wouldn't be surprising) Or he was playing it up for the twelve or so nurses who had hidden behind the corners to watch for gossip, "There's a _really_ pretty girl here to seee~ _Youuu_ ~" Natasha snorted, standing straighter to hide it with a cough. There was a pause, and the counterman giggled, " _Trust me honey_ , you'll want to see her, too.."

He waited another minute with the occasional, "Mhmm.. Yep.." or "I'll take care of it," before he set the phone down, pulled out a sticky note, and wrote down the directions to Masaomi's office.

"Now," he held the slip out to her with a conspiratorial wink, leaning forward to give her a smile, "If you could, also, tell that man to go home and sleep..?" "Don't worry," she gave him a predatory smile, "If he doesn't leave willingly tomorrow morning, I'm going to drag him out by his lab coat.." "I like you," he gave a low whistle, patting her shoulder before pointing to an elevator at the end of the hallway, "Take that up to the second floor, that's the pediatric level, he's in the left wing, nearby the emergency rooms and just a short place from the receptionist."

"Thank you," Natasha smiled, shaking his hand before pulling the suitcase behind her. She passed throngs of gossiping nurses on the nightshift, brushing the bangs from her forehead as her steps echoed into the hall, then disappeared as she stepped into the elevator. The ride was quick, and as she got up there, she moved to the receptionist desk, where a blonde betty with startling grey eyes glanced up to her with surprise, a smile and well hidden, vindictive annoyance, "Hello, I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over for the patient's.." "Oh no," Natasha smiled, flashing her perfect white teeth to the silently seething woman, "I'm here to see Asahina Masaomi.. I have a bit of a.. delivery.."

"I'm sorry, honey," the woman leaned forward, her chest tight against the material of her flashy black and pink lipstick stained pattern scrubs, "But he just stepped out.. You can leave whatever you have for him, here, since he has a very busy-"

"Natasha-chan?"

Natasha lifted her head and looked to the right, to see a barely-alive Masaomi gripping a cup of coffee like a lifeline, "Natasha-chan." he sighed, walking up to her and giving her a stern, but exhausted look, "What are you doing here?" "I told you I'm not letting you off without a proper meal." She flashed a smile and hooked her arm through his, peering down at the still-sitting woman with a polite smile, "Thank you for the help, Ayame-san.. C'mon Masaomi-kun," she tugged at his free arm gently, "Where's your office? I've brought you goodies-!" He glanced down at her with a sigh, but she could see the slight smile painting his lips as he lead her into a spacious office and she shut the door closed. He motioned for her towards seat, but she hovered toward a small coffee pot, that was practically with its last drops. She rolled her eyes, digging in her empty messenger bag and preparing for a headache. She produced a coffee package, several different flavors, as well as a wrapped cinnamon donut. She passed it over to him calmly, and he looked at it in confusion, before her look cut off his thought out question, and he began to eat.

Not to self, regularly swing by Masaomi's office for clean up.. This place is just.. she thought irritably as she began pulling the bento she had actually taken the time at the house to make out of the suitcase, before setting it on the desk, along with a mug of pre-made vitamin water. "Itadakimasu," he sighed, sending her a smile as she began going around the room to tidy it up. He was actually pretty messy, for being the oldest one.. Well.. He was kind of childish, in a few ways..

She started by organizing his scattered wastebin, standing it up and placing the necessary items inside. Followed by the shelves along the walls, sitting up the fallen books, organizing them a bit and making sure they were rightside up. The floor took longer, since she had to pick up a fallen stack of paperwork, push aside a few potted plants, and clear the floor of pencil shavings.. He really needed some mechanical pencils.. She tackled the couch futon-thing last, pulling aside a flimsy hospital sheet and folding it, before pulling the pillow and comforter from the suitcase, laying them out accordingly before setting the pile of clothes on the stretched coffee table.

She stood up with a final sigh, brushing her hands swiftly as she looked around at the now near immaculate room.. All it needed was vacuumed and went over in wood polish..

"There," she smiled towards him just as he was sipping the last of the water, and she strode behind the desk to get the empty bento, wrapping it carefully before moving to put it in her bag on her hip, leaning against the desk to do so without falling over. Masaomi sighed, and she glanced over, watching as he buried his face in his arms, his voice low and rumbly against the desk, "She was in critical condition up until an hour ago.. We have to stay alert until she's completely out of the danger zone.." "Masaomi," she murmured, and as he forced himself to turn his head, he was met with a cool, quick kiss on the cheek, his eyes snapping open while he stayed still. Natasha smiled, brushing the messy hair with the comb she had brought, gently untangling the knots as his eyes fluttered shut with a sigh.. He knew he should probably tell her to stop, but.. It was almost better than when Louis cut their hair… "You're not going to get anything done productively if you're a walking zombie.. You need to be in tip top shape, well rested, and focused.."

"It's hard to focus with your fingers in my hair," he muttered, nearly jerking in surprise when he realized that he'd not said it in his mind. He felt her hands pause in the soft strands, before continuing with ease, though her voice was a tad cooler, now, "Wow Masaomi-nii, you are seriously in need of some sleep.." He internally sighed in relief, closing his eyes as he felt her get closer to the nape of his neck. This continued for a few minutes, before she pulled back, placing the comb on the desk neatly before moving to arrange that, straightening out papers, organizing the pencil holder, brushing off scraps and sliding them into the wastebin. She also threw away the disposable cups and plates lying around. There was also a toy rabbit, and after a quick explanation of its purpose, she smiled at the dubbed, Usa-tan 01.

"Really Masaomi-nii," she murmured, shaking her head, before moving to get the black sweats and the t-shirt, "If I hadn't of brought all this, you'd be sleeping in your work clothes with a crick in your neck… C'mon.."she tugged at his coat, and he hesitated, before he stood to his feet, watching in silence as she pulled the white fleece from his shoulder and folded it carefully, before setting it over the back of his chair. She placed the shirt and pants in his hands, before moving toward the door, "I'll step out while you change, get me when you're done, alright?" She said the final word with just her head poking in the door, before she stepped completely out of it, shutting it carefully before she turned on her heel with a sigh, leaning against the wall with a slow, deep breath, before she managed to open her eyes. She nearly leapt back in surprise at the sight of a little girl peeking out from the door across from her, a big blue eye peering out of shaggy brown bangs. She lifted a hand to her heart when the eyes shied away a bit, before returning, curiously, filled with a gleam only small children and young animals, new to the world, still possessed.

"Hi.." Natasha murmured gently, giving her a small smile as she turned her head, reaching into her pocket and withdrawing a quickly made lollipop, turning to hold out the strawberry flavored treat toward the door. "Do you like strawberry..?" The eyes glanced down each hallway, watching as nurses peaked in each room before going about their duties. Natasha remained unmoving, arm outstretched, until the door slid open, the tiny girl, no more than seven, stepped out of the room, slipping past her outstretched arm to crouch on her opposite side, out of view of the other hospital workers. Natasha looked down at her, crouched to her thighs, and smiled, lifting the lollipop out to her, and holding her finger to her lips, "Don't tell Asahina-chan about it, alright?" The little girl nodded, turning to look up at her with wide, doe eyes. Natasha blinked gently, the sight of a flamed, red patch of skin twisting down on side of her jaw, spreading down her neck, and curling up above her eyebrow in an intricate pattern. With a slight smile, she reached up her hand, gently caressing the girl's head, before running a strand of molten chocolate through her fingers. "May I..?"

Natasha spent the next few minutes sitting on the floor, further away from the wandering eyes of the nurses, the little girl perched in her lap as she braided the girl's uneven, and in some places, singed locks, into intricate braids and roses similar, but less professional, to Louis's. When she was done, she pat the girl's shoulder, letting her turn to look at her reflection in the shiny metal of an abandoned trey cart. She blinked her eyes briefly, before she smiled, reaching up a hand to touch her hair, the other holding the treat in her mouth.

"My name is Natasha," the silverette smiled, watching as the girl lifted a hand to the older female's hair, her fingers also littered with the scorch marks, though Natasha was unfazed, there were several people she knew in her past life with ten times worse than this.. This.. this was just another bump in the road. "And you look absolutely lovely, miss," she smiled, patting the little girl's head before she glanced at the door to Masaomi's office. She closed her eyes, focusing, and sighed, hearing the distant click of sleepy shoes, before she gave the little girl a smile. A little girl, who was staring at her like some odd entity. "We should get you back to your room," she smiled, helping her to stand, before feeling the little girl's hands squeeze around her fingers tightly. Natasha was lead to her room, helping the little girl up into the child-sized hospital bed, pulling back the covers before tucking her in. She kissed each cheek gently, before turning to leave, stopping when she felt a tug on her coat. She turned back to the girl, who had in the process of moving, undone her cocoon. With a sigh, Natasha shook her head, pulling a nearby stool over to the bed, before sitting down, holding the little girl's hand between the both of her's closing her eyes and taking a slow, deep breath.

" _Dreams to dream.. In the dark of, the night._." Natasha sang softly, lifting a hand to caress the girl's cheek gently, " _When the world.. Goes wrong.. I can still, make it right_.." Her voice was sweet and soothing as she sang, her words nearly a purr as she gently let the song caress the air. Outside the door, unbeknownst the to her, Masaomi was looking up and down the hallways, startled to find that his sister was not just outside the door, as she had said she would be.. There were several plausible thoughts that ran through his head.. She was thirsty.. She had to find a bathroom.. Then there was a few more.. She'd gotten lost.. One of the more shady doctors from urgent care had switched floors and-.. There he was.. Worrying again.. Geez.. when was he going to..

 _"I can see.. So far in my dreams.. I'll follow my dreams.. Until they come true.."_

His footsteps halted as he neared a familiar door, little Yukairi, Kuroma, suffered in a tragic fire accident. Her mother, older sister and older brother escaped relatively unharmed, while her father lost his life, and she was given a tad more misfortune.

 _"Come with me, you will see what I see.. There's a world, inside, no one else ever sees.._

 _You will go, so far in my dreams.. Somewhere in my dreams.. Your dreams, will come true.."_

He paused outside of the door to her room in silence and hesitation, his coat had been left at the office, and it was only a matter of time before someone questioned his absence..

 _"There is a star, waiting to guide us.. Shining inside us.. When we close our eyes~!"_

Certain now, that he knew who the culprit was, he slid the door open in silence, stepping inside and shutting it with equal care as his eyes immediately found the bed, a dozing Yukairi clutching at Natasha's hands, the silver haired female soothing the girl with gentle touches to her hair and face, lulling her to sleep.

" _Don't let go.. If you stay close to me.. In my dreams.. Tonight.. You will see, what I see_ ," Natasha gently let the girls arms fall back to her side, pulling another strawberry treat from her coat pocket and setting it on the bed near her pillow, soothing away an errant bang against her ear, " _Dreams to dream.. As near as can be.. Inside you and me.. They always come._." she slowly stood from the bench, placing it silently next to the original spot before slowly backing out of the room, her eyes on the child as she finished, in a careful, sweet voice, " _True._."

She turned her head and reached for the handle, jumping in surprise and nearly screaming as a hand covered her mouth and another caught her wrist, keeping her still. She looked up sharply with wide eyes, meeting Masaomi's startled eyes with her own. She was tempted to bite him, but as he raised a finger to her lips, and pointed to the door, she could only nod, letting him move his hand hesitantly off of her mouth, before tugging her toward the hallway, hand still on her wrist as she shut the door behind them in silence, and pulled her back towards his office, his bare feet tapping against the floor as she pouted, vaguely imagining a scolding in her near future.

Natasha was, however, surprised as she was ushered into the room, and sat down swiftly into the guest recliner, Masaomi crouching down in front of her with big, serious eyes as he held her hands in his, thumbs idly brushing over her knuckles as his voice filled the silence. "How did you get her to go willingly back to her room?"

"What?" she smarted, face blanking as she glanced around, then back at him, "You're.. Not going to.. Yell at me..?" "It's been three weeks," he murmured, lifting one of his hands to cover his eyes, then push back his hair, "She's made escape trips out of her room, every night.. Always for the same reason.. She goes and searched every room until she finds her family.. They were released last week, and since then, they've been in protective custody, so visiting hasn't been possible.. She's been toeing the line between innocent child and needing restraint.." he gave her a sharp look, and despite Masaomi kneeling in front of her like some proverbial knight, she felt very, very small, "What I want to know," he breathed, all fatigue of the day ignored epicly, "Is how you managed to get her back in bed willingly.."

"I.. talked to her.." Natasha answered after a minute, lowering her head as she scratched at the back of her neck, "She didn't say anything to me, but I just made small talk.. I tried doing her hair like Louis did mine.. I gave her a lollipop that I commandeered from the front desk.." "That's it..?" he murmured, almost in a daze, "You didn't bribe her with anything..? No warnings? No fussing?" "It might have helped that I looked at her like a normal kid," she offered casually, glancing away when his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Explain, please..?" he murmured, and she took a deep inhale, before letting it all out, slowly, "I've seen a lot of victims of fires, war, drugs, accidents, you name it.. and the one thing they all had in common.. They said the same thing.. 'I just want to be looked at like everyone else' 'No pity' Compassion is different than pity. Compassion provides the basis that leads to understanding.." Masaomi breathed heavily in his spot for a minute, before he let a long, tired sigh, "I understand what you are saying.. But it' a bit of a challenge for others to see from your perspective.."

"She doesn't want to be coddled," Natasha sighed, leaning forward to pat his shoulder before she stood, hauling him up by his arm and pushing him toward the couch, "Now lay that scrawny behind down before I bring in some of the lab restraints to lock you there.. I'll ask the nurses to call the phone and wake you up.. IF-.. it's an emergency.." He flopped onto the couch after another encouraging shove, falling against the sweet-smelling pillow with a huff, burying his face into the purple fluff with a sigh, dozing in and out of consciousness as he felt a thick blanket lifting over him, small hands tucking it into his sides and around his feet, before another soft, cold kiss touched his forehead, and he drifted into oblivion.

Natasha looked down at him for a moment, her fingers brushing the hair from his eyes before she sighed, standing to brush off the knees of her white slacks and turn to fold the messily-folded clothes he had taken off, also placing his hastily-kicked-away shoes neatly on the floor near the pile, checking once more that he was completely asleep, before smiling, and leaving the room. She took a deep breath as she left, face burning as she covered her mouth in embarrassment.. Did he have to look like a goddamned child when he was sleepy?! She couldn't help but peck his cheek.. Twice.. damn.. She shivered slightly, turning a slow look to her right, where a not-so-obvious gaggle of nurses were 'chatting' about their 'work'.. Sneaking glances toward the door every so often, until one of them had spotted the female leaving, and it went completely silent.

Natasha sent the girls a cheery smile, painting it across her lips in a flash that sent them bristling with agitation and embarrassment. She walked past them without a word, getting into the elevator and letting it close without a hitch. In the safety of the small room, and only for that brief moment, did she allow herself to panic, reaching up her hands to tug her hair in frustration as she groaned with all her might. "Dear _God- what have I done_ -?!"


	19. Chapter 4: part 3

Today had not been the best.. Granted, it was far from the worst- _she was_ technically _still alive_ \- by _this_ world's standards, anyway..

She'd nearly had to drag Yusuke out of his bed.. He'd been up so late studying that it had taken her the threat of breaking down the door of his room to get him up, plus the sweetly sung 'idle musing' in wondering if he slept in the _nude_ … That got him up..

Then she had to completely rearrange Wataru's outfit.. Okay, the kid wore a lot of frilly colors, but.. There was a line to be drawn somewhere.. So she'd helped him into an adorable outfit that _matched_.. Then there was several minutes of escaping Tsubaki's morning hugs before he'd go off for work with Azuza, and finally having to run around making sure everyone received the correct bento..

Now she'd bought the birthday cards for the boys required, having completely spaced off getting them on the day of buying presents, and now that she was home, she could- wait..

Her eyes snapped to the mailboxes in surprise, lighting up when she saw that her's was the only one with a package sticking out of it. Had she had a tail, it would putting Hawaii in a fearsome tsunami.. A tsunami named Natasha.. She was on the box in a second, carefully pulling out the white and orange package with surprise as she looked for the sender's address and name, her eyes lighting up and glee filling her body. "Natsume~! You are _so cool_ ~!" she whisper cheered, pumping a fist as she pondered opening it right then and there.. The click of a door and hustled footsteps caught her ears however, and she turned to see Tsubaki leaving, his face drawn in a displeased frown. "Tsubaki~!" she called, flinching when she caught sight of the expression, though it fell into a practiced smile as he turned to her, that kind of scared her, more.. So she powered on, holding up the package with an awkward smile, "Hey, check it out-! Natsume-nii sent the game-!" He hummed slightly, and she tensed, smile stuck in place as he turned to leave, not saying a word as the door shut behind him.

Natasha blinked at the space for a moment, before shaking her head roughly from side to side, patting her cheeks in annoyance, "Don't you dare, Natasha.. Storyline, damnit.. Follow the storyline.."

She let out a sigh, before she heard another door opening, her ears perking up as she turned to see a winded Azuza clad in his night clothes. He was on her in an instant, and she resisted the urge to jump back in preservation of personal space, catching the panic in his eyes as he gave her an imploring look, "Have you seen Tsubaki?" She pointed to the door with her free hand, not trusting her voice when he nodded, turning and bolting out the door without question, though she already knew it would be in vain. With a guilt-laden sigh, she shook her head once more, pulling her hair tighter back into the bun and training for her room. She still had to wrap Wataru's gift..

* * *

Natasha flicked on the light with a sigh, rubbing her eyes as she did, "I'm home, Juli.." Said squirrel was curled up in his bed, immediately rising at the sound of his mistress's entrance. "Is something the matter?" he asked curiously, watching as she set the thin plastic bag on the desk before collapsing on the bed in a heap, leaning up to prop her head in her folded arms as she turned to face Juli, her face drawn in guilt, "I saw Tsubaki and Azuza downstairs.. But Tsubaki was being weird.. It kind of scared me.." she said the last part under her breath so Juli couldn't hear her, but he answered to what he did. "Those guys are always weird.. By the way," he continued, his eyes following her as she took of her jacket and put her things away, before moving to grab a thin white package from the desk, "What's that..?"

"Oh," she grinned, relaxing slightly as she answered, "Natsume sent me a disk of the game his company is working on.. It's still in development, but it won't be released until next year-!"

Natasha took a moment to pull out two large comfortable pillows from her bed, setting one out for Juli and one for herself, then pulling out a box from beneath her bed, grabbing several bags of chips, and getting a bag of traveler's mix for Juli. She set up the system with little effort, getting comfy after another, and relaxing with the controller in her hands.

She didn't need to stress about tonight.. She could take the time to play the game and make some development notes for Natsume.. And that is how she spent her night..

* * *

And apparently, her morning..

"Oh _crap_ -!" Natasha panicked, jumping from one end of the room to the next as she whined, "I just couldn't beat that dessert level-! I swear I spent three hours on that thing, alone-!" "Relax, Chii," Juli called, rolling his eyes, "It's Faculty Day.."

She froze in the spot, hand poised above her bag, one leg stuck out awkwardly as her opposite hand struggled to put her shoe on one foot, her socks frumpy and obviously rushed. "Pardon?"

"It's Faculty Day, Chii," Juli sighed, shaking his head, "You have today off.." "And you couldn't have told me this.. _Before_ I got out of my gaming clothes..?" she asked skeptically, collapsing into the desk chair with a sigh at the squirrel's amused chuckle. "Serves you right," he sniffed, getting comfy on her bed once more, "Your health will be poor if you continue these habits, Chii.." "Yes, yes, Daddy, I know~" she sang, missing the choking sound he made a he snapped his neck to her, fur bristled in silence as he watched her.

Natasha's golden eyes slid along the desk absently, before settling on the package paper. Her eyebrows furrowed as she turned it over, her eyes falling on the name as lightning hit her brain. Wasn't Ema able to.. So.. maybe if she…

Oh, the wonders of technology.. And _Creation_ , of course….

* * *

Natasha was giddy after school had ended, bidding Yusuke a cheerful farewell as she reminded him of her plans to be out, the boy telling her not to do anything stupid in a gruff, pinched voice before walking away. She giggled at his turned back, shaking her head before she slipped into a public restroom. She swiftly changed her clothes into something much more comfortable. Black jeans, a warm grey sweater, a white undercoat, and a black jacket. She decided to go without a hood this time, her hair pulled up into a tight, professional bun, putting two black hairsticks in to complete the look. Her grey boots slumped against the sidewalk as she stored the uniform into her messenger bag, checking herself in a mirror briefly, running a hand over her face to fix what little eyeliner she had put on, before turning to leave.

The cold air only seemed to freeze further as the day wore on, and precisely five minutes before the scheduled time, Natasha was seated at the table of a nice homey restaurant, the warm interior melting the chill in her shoulders as she relaxed, hands poised in her lap as she breathed in the sweet scents around her. The sound of the door opening had her eyes blinking open, and she glanced up to lock eyes with Natsume, his coat and scarf folded over his shoulder, and his suit as impeccable as ever.

He strode over casually, though the walk wasn't far, "You got here awfully early.. Did you wait long?" "Not at all," Natasha smiled, waving her hand toward the empty chair, "I've been meaning to ask you out for a while.. You already took me out for coffee, thought I could at least return the favor at some point.."

"Get _out_ , is that guy hot or what?"

It seemed a pair of girl's with necks like cranes were having a very poorly whispered conversation. But since Natsume didn't really react to it, she tried to focus on the subject at hand.

"Aww~! But it looks like he's meeting his girlfriend.."

 _Okay.._ she felt a blank sheet slide through her mind, blinking slowly to let an image come back into focus.. _Focus, damnit.._

"You looked flushed," he pointed after a moment, settling into his chair like a smooth snake, though the mannerisms of a kitten.. _Dear god_.. "Do you have a fever?"

"Oh no, I'm fine," she brushed him off with a soft chuckle, lifting her hand to tangle her fingers in her hair, but when she found lack thereof, she remembered the bun, and carefully returned her hands to her lap.

He glanced down at the table, then back up to her curiously, "You haven't ordered anything, yet?" he tilted his head slightly, his expression just as inquiring as his tone, "What do you want to get?" "Oh, no-!" she lifted a hand to stop him, wagging her finger in a forbidding gesture as she sat straighter, giving him a stern look, though the smile in his eyes didn't fade, "I'm the one who asked you to meet me, courtesy is the asker pays.. You are the one getting treated, here, mister.." "To be completely honest," he smiled, a chuckle on the tip of his tongue as she deflated slightly at his tone, "If you'd have thought to make me pay from the start, I wouldn't have stood for it. I really like your attitude.." Her face flushed instantly, but she covered it with a clear of her throat, sitting up once more, her back as steady as a steel rod, "Natsume-san," she started crisply, her little act pushing at his buttons a he bit the inner lining of his bottom lip subtly, forcing himself not to laugh. "I look at us as virtual equals.. Just as I look at every other human being on this planet.. If one person asked another out and expected the latter to pay, I'd have a much less than equal regard of that person.. If I don't like it, I'm surely not going to be a hypocrite.. Now.." she narrowed her eyes, picking up the menu and holding it out to him, "Pick what you want."

He was silent for a moment, his fingers curled over his mouth in thought before he shook his head, "I'll pay half, then.." "Natsu-!" she whined, pouting as she glared at him, and he was suddenly struck with the fact that she looked older than her age.. Just like she did.. At the mall..

"So," he shifted the topic before she could argue, though the interest caught her eyes as he sat straighter, actually taking the outstretched menu to look it over, "How are things at.. Home..?"

She missed his hesitant use of the word 'home', but took it as a serious question, as she thought best how to answer. "Well," she murmured, running a hand over her exposed neck, unconsciously drawing his eyes there for a brief, scarlet-blushed moment, before he schooled back into his composed mask. "It's been almost four months now.. So, I suppose I'm getting used to it.." "I see.." he nodded slightly, "I'm glad to hear that.."

When the waiter had come over to take their orders, Natsume had encouraged her to speak first. She asked for coffee and cake, and was startled slightly when Natsume had immediately asked for the same, answering her curious look with a secretive smile, leaning closer ever so slightly to whisper, "Don't tell the others.. But I've gotten a strange addiction to sweets after leaving the house.." "Cross my heart," she mimicked her words with a finger, giving him a snarky smile, "Hope to die.. Mocha latte in my eye.." He guffawed briefly at that, covering it with a cough as he looked away, clearing his throat, "So, have you gotten the game, yet? Panzer of the Dead…?"

"Heh.. heheh.." her breathy giggles were dark and concerning, but he could only watch in silence as she sipped her coffee, licking her lips as she thought over her words, then spoke, her tone oddly quiet and thoughtful, "I surely did get it.. The issue in this.. Is my lack of ability to complete it.." she lifted her eyes to him carefully, and he felt his zeroing in on her eyelids, while they did not appear sunken or sagging from exhaustion, she had put on a mature amount of eyeliner around her eyes, a soft grey eye shadow he only just noticing bringing her bright golden eyes to pop. "I've spent a total of fourteen hours on it, so far.." "Where are you getting stuck?" he asked in a no-nonsense tone. She pulled out a little booklet from her pocket, holding it out to him as she explained the situation, "My main problem is the desert zone.. I keep defeating all the mobs, but it doesn't level up.. My guess is that I didn't make a pre existing objective to reach that, but there was also the possibility of it being a glitch, so I figured that the best way to confront a problem is to take it all down at once.. I made a list of little errors and typos in the disk.. Little things you can hardly notice, but still affect the game's reputation.."

He flipped through the palm-sized composition book, the delicate katakana written in blue gel pen listing out specific sequences and errors in coordinating fashions. "May I keep this?" he asked after a moment, and at her shooing gesture, he slipped it into his breast pocket, just as the waiter came with their cake, setting them down with a flair, and a polite bow, bidding them a good meal before disappearing behind the counter. Fork in hand, he hovered the utensil over the sweet, eyes trained on the girl as she carefully cut off a bite, bringing it delicately to her lips, the brief look of love on her face causing him to lose train of thought for a moment before he forced himself to continue. "You've put an awful lot of hours into this.." He took a sip of his coffee to clear his head, before continuing, his thoughts a bit more clear, "but unless you level up in the previous zone, you won't be able to pass the desert zone.." "That actually makes a lot of sense.." she murmured after a moment, stuffing a mouthful of cake past her lips as she sulked. "But if you can't beat it," he continued, as he watched as she lowered the fork midway to her mouth for another bite, eyes focused on him intently as he continued without pause, "I'm afraid we'll have to make some changes to the desert zone.."

She perked up instantly, eyes wide, "I'm the beta tester for this?! All right-!" she did a little fist pump in her seat, attacking her cake with her fork in excitement, "I've always wanted to work for a graphic designs branch.. It's been my dream since I was eight." He sighed, lifting his fork to poke at his cake, "There aren't too many people who will pour in as much energy into games as you do." By this time, she had glanced up to meet his eyes, violet locking with gold as he kept his stern expression. "Making videogames is still a business.. So we need to be able to count on a certain number of players.."

"Just means you need to stay on your toes," Natasha sent him a reassuring smile, and he had only a moment to smile before his phone went off. He tore his gaze to his pocket as he pulled out his phone, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Azuza?" "Azu?" Natasha repeated, startled, then lightning brought back her plotline, and she resisted the urge to groan. Calming her nerves with a deep breath, this was not going to end well..

"Hello?" Natsume held the phone to his ear, his eyes unfocused as he gazed off, listening to the call. "Yeah, it's me.." A pause. "Huh, Tsubaki-.. No-, no I didn't know.." Another pause. "Has he called? No, not really-.. Ah.. got it, if he calls-" The phone went dead in his hand, and Natasha raised an eyebrow, fork hanging from her lips as she savored the last bite of her cake. "What the heck was that.." he muttered, almost sounding worried. Natasha lowered the fork, "What's wrong?"

"Tsubaki apparently didn't come home yesterday, and Azuza seems worried.." Natsume sighed, sitting straight as he moved to hold his coffee between his hands, before perking up slightly, "Wait, do you know something?" "Tsubaki left early yesterday night," Natasha sighed, lifting a hand to her temple, "Azuza went after him a few minutes or so later, but.." She lowered her hand with a huff, giving her coffee a dejected glare, she wasn't going to intervene.. "Do you," she asked slowly, "..Think something happened..?"

He had a brief look on his face, like he was startled about something, but it wasn't fast enough for her to miss it. Instead, she sat up straighter, her gaze turning to him sternly, "You do know something-! You're face gave it away," she finished with an explaining tone at his incredulous look, and after a few more minutes of her intense expression, he cracked a little, relaxing in his seat just a hair, "Well…" he sighed. "Please Natsume," she asked softly, her face flooded with concern.

"The truth is," he rolled the coffee cup between his hands carefully, thinking through his words, "I heard something through the grapevine at work.. It was about an anime show.."

"Aren't you a videogame company?" she furrowed her eyebrows, and he explained. "Yes, but a lot of our projects use voice actors, too. So we hear all kinds of things through those channels.."

He let out a breath through his nose, "It hasn't been officially announced, so I won't name the title.. But a certain anime is the reason Tsubaki got into voice acting.. And a new series got greenlit for that anime.." "They told me they had an audition for an upcoming anime," Natasha nodded, "A top-secret one, at that.." "I see," he murmured, "And ever since that news came out, Tsubaki's been saying how he wants to play the lead. He's popular right now, so the producer seemed enthusiastic about it, too.." She could tell it was going to get gloomy in a moment, so she lifted her coffee to her lips for a drink, listening intently. "But when the cast was announced, the lead had gone to someone else.." "Let me guess.." she muttered, a heavy sigh passing her lips as she set the cup down.

"A lot goes into it.. How his voice balances with the other actors.." he trailed off meaningfully to her, letting her shake her head. "And the poor guy wanted it so badly, too," Natasha grumbled, eyes glaring dejectedly where once a beautiful triangle of Heaven and Hell had tempted her.. And won. "And that's not the end of the story," Natsume continued, a bit tired, "The voice actor chosen to play the lead, instead of Tsubaki.. Was Azuza." She lifted a hand to her face in fatigue, massaging the skin between her eyes with a vengeance.. "I can't honestly say I am shocked.. I told them, both.. Not to jinx it.."

"I won't say I'm entirely unsympathetic," Natsume spoke after a moment of her musings, "but I'll question the idea about agonizing over this sort of this sort of thing.." His tone became hard, and widely revered, as if he were thinking about something else. "Azuza has been chosen. As a professional, it is his job to live up to those expectations.."

"We aren't talking about Azuza, are we?" she sent him a subtle look, and the sudden pension across his face melted as he continued on, purposely keeping his eyes toward her, but away from her own, "There's nothing Big Brotherly, about guys in their twenties having a teenage little sister worry about them.." "Well then," she sighed, offering him a slight smirk, "It's a good thing that my maturity is that of a middle-aged woman.." She held up her hand calmly, flagging down the waiter with a smile before Natsume could open his mouth to comment. "Check please-!"

* * *

 _Mace glared down dully at the photo in his palm. It was a wallet sized, and the slight indent in the corner hinted at a paperclip marking its place in a previous position. If he were being honest, she didn't look overly appealing. She had a softness in her features, he admit, but she lacked the cunning edge of a demon, or the fragile structure of an angel of Heaven._

 _"She's pretty, isn't she?" Scythe chirped. They'd run into guards at the intermediate gates, but they were disposed of quickly. Nothing but low level branch-off demons, to Scythe's disappointment, having made it a point to swing his namesake, a large thing nearly twice his size, around his wrist like a toy during battle. Currently, and to Mace's relief, it was tucked away in the parallel existence all other things angels needed resided for easy access. They were making a pit stop in Hell. One of the outer rings, to be precise._

 _Demon gossip was surprisingly more reliable than angelic gossip.._

 _And it was there they would run into someone they shouldn't._

 _"Gentleman."_

 _The Limbo-residing male's halted in their float toward the next available building, stopping on the edge of the dirty, aged concrete to turn around. Not fifty feet out a male clad in leathers and metal chains sat casually against the dingy metal of a chimney pipe, a cigarette in his mouth lit and glowing dimly in the blood red skylight._

 _The childish innocence in Scythe's face remained, however, Mace was tense, watching the demon with sharp, cautious eyes._

 _"I happen to be fond of several of my guard," the stranger took a moment to pull his cigarette away, blowing a perfect, circular ring of smoke into the air, before flashing he men a sharp, dangerous smile, "Be glad they had the night off.."_

 _He stood then, standing to grind the butt of the cig beneath his steel-toed boot. He threw his head back with a loud sigh, stretching his arms comically before turning completely to the male's eyes narrowed into slits and the blood red orbs shining in equal parts amusement and fury._

 _No one fucked with his staff but him.._

 _..._

 _Natasha would kill him if he'd have said that out loud..._

 _..._

 _That or laughed._

 _"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked casually, stuffing his hands in his pockets, feeling the warm breeze rush the hair around his head and neck in an almost sweet caress. As if reassuring him. "Two rejected pigeons do not belong in this realm.. That was made abundantly clear eons ago.."_

 _"Perfect timing-!" Scythe chirped, his companion flinching beneath his curtain of hair at his partner's bubbly facade. "You wouldn't have happened to see your brother anywhere, have you?"_

 _"Sure as Hell not here," the raven flashed a smirk, before turning on his heel, his shoulders twitching before he let his dusty, black ash wings unfold from his back, and lift him a good few feet from the ground, "A final, fair warning," he called down to them with a clear facade of cheerfulness. "Enter my realm without summons once more, and you will discover what your own beating hearts taste like.."_

 _And he was gone in a shower of feathers._

 _Mace chanced a look at his partner, nearly recoiling away from him in disgust and pure, unadulterated terror at his look._

 _Scythe was amused. Darkly amused._

 _And Mace was once again questioning his decision to join the warrior legion..._

 _Too late now..._


	20. Chapter 4 (Final)

"You know.." she trialed off, idle, hands shoved in her pockets as they walked side by side back to the complex, Natsume on her right as she flanked his left. "You didn't have to walk me back home, Natsu.." "It's just until we're close to the station," he reassured her, calmly, "Don't let it bother you too much.." His tone turned bittersweet as they continued to walk, each with their hands shoved in their pockets to ward off the chill, "It's dark already, after all.." he scoffed a little, under his breath, "As a Big Brother.. I could hardly abandon my underage, little sister.." "You saying little twice implies that you think I'm short.." she slid a look to him, and his slight smile of nostalgia wiped hers clean off. She chanced a look around them for something to say, eyes lighting up at the sight of a lights display of Santa Claus and Reindeer, "Looks like they're breaking out the eggnog a bit early, this year.." "Mhmm," he agreed, his tone light and casual, "Do you have plans?"

"That's funny," she laughed brightly, her voice as airy as a snowflake, "Tell me another joke."

"Whoa, whoa," he sent her a look of surprise, and she played along, smiling with a gleam of mischevious intent, much like he was, "I don't want to hear such lonely words from a highschool student.." "Oh?" she feigned innocence, speeding up a couple steps so she could turn, stopping him in his tracks as she flashed him a devilish smile, both of them at a standstill near the edge of the sidewalk as the world passed by. "And what about Natsume-san..?" He outright rolled his eyes at her, almost mocking as he shook his head, "Come on.. Christmas is when toy makers rake in their biggest profits.. There's no way I can take time off at a busy time like that.." "So that means you are also without plans?" she chuckled at him openly, lifting a hand in an L-shape to cradle her chin, "I have to wonder though.. Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black..?" "Touche," he gave her a smirk, this time, and she stomped furiously against the moths battling in her stomach.

He paused a moment, looking her over, and she froze to her spot, feeling his eyes tracing paths across her face and neck, his words nearly startling her as she held back a yip of surprise. "Do you always wear your hair like that..?" "Oh," she stood up straighter to touch the bun, nearly crying as she realized it had loosened considerably, and was just barely holding on enough to call itself a bun without exploding in a hurricane of white cotton candy. "Yeah, I guess I do.. Just.. always a struggle to keep it back.." As she said this, she was twisting the hair sticks to make it tighter, only failing and having several silver colored locks to brush her nose as she sighed in annoyance, letting them frame her face as she pulled back what she could. "I see. Then.." She'd just fixed the scrunchie in place when she heard his voice again, looking up just in time to see him pulling off his scarf.

"It's a bit too early to call it a Christmas present," his smile was hesitant, but warm, and she held still beneath his violet eyes as he tugged the thick woolen scarf around the back of her neck. "But I can't do anything on the day of.." he wrapped it around her neck snugly, and gentle, covering both her open collar and the bottom of her chin with graceful sweeps of his hands, "So this is in lieu of that.." he pulled it to the front as he finished, his hands tracing the shape of it to sit properly as he continued. "Natsume.." Natasha started, her tone turning disapproving, despite the obvious embarrassment. But he cut her off calmly, his voice as smooth as liquid silk, "For my poor little sister.." he spoke softly, placed his hand past the rim of the scarf, just barely brushing the side of her neck with his knuckles as he pulled out a tangle of white locks, letting them fall out of the scarf in a cascade as he freed it gently, "with no plans.." She could have sworn she saw perfect boyfriend glitter flash behind him invitingly when he'd giving her that smile, wanting nothing more at that moment then to scream 'fuck the consequences' and 'enlighten' him about the perks of kissing a short girl.. But she didn't..

"Merry Christmas," he murmured gently, his hand still tangled in her hair. Natasha swallowed back the growing urge to pounce, beating the dark whispers with an imaginative stick so she could think clearly. "Thank you, Natsume.."

She had her fantasies running wild for a moment, but when he'd lifted his hand, and pat her on the head, it all fell down like a shattered window. NOPE. "Later," he smiled, cooly, a hand in his pocket as the other fucked up her hair, his body already turned to leave. "Can't afford to be catching any flus in this busy time.. " She scrambled to fix her hair as he turned to leave, hearing his soft laughter as he continued to walk away, pouting at his back dejectedly with her face flushed. It took only her one moment of weakness for the whispers to give a simple suggestion, and as hard as her conscious fought it, no matter how swiftly her morals swept in to save her.. She was doomed..

The entire walk home was spent with the scarf wrapped tightly around her lower face, eyes lidded lazily as she hid her lousy grin and her cheeks tinted pink as she continuously breathed in the scent of Natsume's gentle cologne..

Oh god, was she a pervert..?

Satan probably agreed…

* * *

Natasha had finally lowered the scarf as she made it to the complex, sighing in disappointment as she remembered she would need to stop or face the others like a dope. However, she caught sight of an ink haired male on the front set of stairs, she became concerned, lowering the scarf enough to speak clearly as she neared him, startling him from his reverie. "Azuza-nii?"

"Oh?" he turned to see her, jumping quickly to his feet and offering her a quick grin, "Welcome home.." "What are you doing out here?" she deadpanned, though he did have the heart to look slightly guilty, "You're going to get sick with this cold air.." "I just.." he glanced toward the house briefly, before returning his eyes to her, "..felt like it.." He shook his head slowly, his tone reverberating, "I couldn't relax in my room." "Again," Natasha repeated, slowly, meeting his eyes with concern, "You're going to get sick.. And when you get sick, it affects your work.." He turned his head, then, glaring down at the ground in cold contempt, "I don't have any work that would have a problem with that.."

"Bullcrap," she huffed, catching his eye as he looked in surprise. She steeled her expression, and he paused, and sighed, nodding in acknowledgement, "You heard from Natsume, didn't you?"

"Look," Natasha sighed, "I'm sorry for finding out, alright.."

"No," he denied calmly, his expression still cool, "it doesn't matter anymore.. I'm planning to turn down that role, anyway.." "Pardon?" she straightened her posture in annoyance, her look stern as he kept himself in his numb little bubble, looking up to the sky. "You heard, didn't you?" he asked calmly, "I can't do it.."

"And you're fine with that?" she sounded affronted, his instinct surprise almost startling as he snapped his eyes over to look at her, violet orbs widened ever so slightly, and lips parted in silence. Her face was stern as he watched her, her posture strict and her eyes never faltering as she met his, her tone as hard as steel, "Even if it is for Tsubaki's sake.. You'd hurt him more if you turned it down like it was nothing.."

"Keep mouthing off and I'm going to get angry," he spoke, and as surprised as she was that he was getting testy right now, she brushed it off, "that role belongs to Tsubaki." Her expression was calm, but defiant, her gaze level with his narrowed one, "Azuza-nii was the one chosen for the role," she spoke firmly, and she watched as his breath hitched, eyes dilating slightly as he stood stock-still. "You need to understand the significance of that, Azuza," she spoke firmly, her teeth threatening to grit in annoyance as she held her voice firm, "Tsubaki wouldn't want you to turn down such an opportunity.. And neither do I.." she felt the anger leave her slowly, and she sighed, finally able to relax, her eyes lifting once more to meet his dumbfounded ones. "I really love Azuza-nii's voice.." "That's enough," he snapped, lowering his eyes when she had shown her shock, forefront, "No matter what anyone says, that's the one role I can't do.. I absolutely can't do it.." He turned to leave the courtyard, his back to her as he continued to speak, "So I'm turning it down, I won't do it.." His voice became much more pensive, and she could sense the anxiety laden in his words, "Besides, once I turn it down.. The role will.."

Natasha swallowed her nerves, and stood her ground, squaring her shoulders as she lifted her voice, showing her displeasure, "And what of Tsubaki?!" He stilled at her outburst, his hand twitching as his side and his head turning ever so slightly, as if he wanted to spin around and shout, but she continued. "Azuza," she said firmly, "If you were to give up the tole in favor for Tsubaki, he wouldn't be happy. I've said this.. You need to understand that.."

Seemingly at his limit, the raven turned, his expression taut with anxiety and disappointment, "That's not true-" "I _wouldn't_ be happy."

A new voice had cut into the thick of the argument, and Natasha jumped a foot in the air, spinning on her heel with her hands over her heart, resisting the urge to tell the silver haired man off, as he stood just past the threshold of the doorway, a hand in his pocket calmly. "Tsubaki," Natasha gasped, feeling the thundering pulse gradually slow as she relaxed in the tense atmosphere. This was good.. Going smooth.. _Ish_.. "Tsubaki.." Azuza said, quiet, as they turned to face the now, approaching, silver.

"Aww, man," the eldest triplet sighed, stopping just a few feet out from them with a hard expression, "And here I spent the whole night awake, thinking about how to talk you into it.." His tone turned slightly amused as he reached them, his stance firm, but relaxed, "I planned to come out at the end and set you straight.. My moment in the spotlight.." He gave Natasha a slight smile, "But it's kind of like you took it all from me.." Natasha gave him a weak, but steady, apologetic smile. He nodded to her, before turning to Azuza, not taking a moment before he was just inches from the raven's nose, eye to eye and both unmoving as Tsubaki spoke. "Azuza. Do it for me."

"What?" the raven muttered, but Tsubaki continued, his voice firm, "I don't want it to be anybody else… I'm your number one fan in the whole wide world, so I want to hear it.. Will you let me hear that role in your voice, Azuza..?" he asked softly, and Natasha bit her lip sharply to hide her squeal of pure joy, her phone was out and discreetly recording the touching scene, her eyes trained on the two with bystander's awe. "Tsubaki…" he rasped, then swallowed, straightening his back with a sharp nod, "All right." Tsubaki swooped in for a hug just as he did, the two halves meeting in a grateful, brotherly hug, the third party watching with her flip phone recording, then tucking it away after another few touching moments. "Thank you," Tsubaki breathed, "Azuza."

"I'll put on my best performance," the raven breathed, both boys pulling back just enough to look into eachothers eyes. "Damn straight," Tsubaki had his brother's cheeks between his palms now, his voice playfully threatening, "I wouldn't let you get away with a half-assed performance." He pulled back again, and they shared a knowing smile. Tsubaki held out his hand, his tone filled with relief, "Then let's pinkie swear." They shook pinkies, holding it there while Tsubaki spoke, "Come on. Go call your manager right away, and get it settled. Okay?" "Okay," Azuza agreed quickly, flashing the two a smile before excusing himself to go inside.

"And don't forget to wrap up next time-!" Natasha couldn't help but call, hands cupped around her mouth as Azuza stopped just before shutting the door, sending both of them a warm grin, and a slight nod, before he moved to shuffle quickly towards the elevator. Natasha lowered her hands to her side, sighing gently as she took in the events of the day, wondering how it would end..

"Hey," Tsubaki called, breaking her out of her revere. He smiled, his voice gentle, compared to how he sounded chastising his brother. Natasha met his eyes immediately, foggy grains of memory about this episode slipping through her fingers in a futile attempt to predict events. Whatever, she'd just go with it..

"Come keep me company for my consolation party..?" He asked casually, and she could only smile, shaking her head as she pulled her bag up to rest over her shoulder, shifting her weight to her hip, "I can afford to buy a pint or two of ice cream.. Let's go.." "I was just thinking a walk," he chuckled, bumping her with his shoulder as he turned to face the direction she'd come from. Natasha giggled softly, jogging to catch up so she was 'in-step' with him.. Meaning it took her nearly twice as many strides to keep up..

"All right, all right.. Maybe we'll hit a convenience store and raid their icebox.." she grinned, his answering smile relaxed as they continued to walk, not really speaking, but enjoying the silence. It was almost fifteen minutes later that he decided to slow down, carefully getting off the path to look over the nearby park's lake. The dark water looked like poison ink in the light of the moon, but it almost looked magical, with the Christmas lights twinkling in the distance reflecting on the surface..

"Are you disappointed?" Natasha asked casually after a minute, staying back far enough so he could have a bit of space. He hesitated a few moments, before he sighed, his hands in his pockets as he looked thoughtfully out over the water. "Well, to be honest… Am I disappointed.." he repeated the question to himself softly, before he slowly shook his head, "Sure.." His tone, while already cool, took on a note of melancholy, "I was the one who first wanted to become a voice actor… and I was supposed to have dragged Azuza into it… but somewhere along the way.. He surpassed me."

Natasha dug her nails into her palms in silence, biting the inside of her bottom lip as she listened. Tsubaki continued, oblivious to her concerned expression. "It's always been like that.. Azuza's been on top, no matter what we did.. Even though we're supposed to have been born from the same egg.." Natasha had it on the tip of her tongue to tell him off, but the dark presence, usually so talkative in such situation, with plenty of perverseness to spare, was having none of it, threatening to take over should she so much as interrupt his breathing.

"Seriously speaking," Tsubaki continued after a moment, "Azuza's the better voice actor.. I can see it, too. That's why they were right to decide the way they did.. It's because I know that.." She watched as his fists clenched at his side, her mothering instinct demanding to march over there and hug him, at the very least, pet his hair and offer to help him train to become better.. "...that I feel disappointed."

"Tsubaki.." she managed to breathe, the woman in her thoughts hissing briefly before it was thrown into a locked corridor, a mental door slamming shut before she was silenced, and Natasha kept her eyes pinned on Tsubaki, his shoulders, once shaking, now relaxing as he turned to face her, his expression cool and serious. "That reminds me.." he spoke calmly, and she blinked in surprise at the mere presence he exuded. "What is it..?" she asked hesitantly, double checking her mental wards were in place before focusing back in one his next statement, surprise on her face at his revelation. "There's something I want to ask you," he continued calmly.

"Earlier, you told Azuza you like his voice, remember..?" He spoke firmly. "Aye..?" she agreed cautiously, narrowing her eyes in thought as she resisted the temptation to tilt her head.

"Then," his tone softened slightly, and she felt a sort of vulnerability in his gaze, her own eyes softening as she relaxed, his tone more gentle, "what about me..?"

"Of course I love your voice," Natasha immediately fired, his surprise fleeting as she continued, tone warm and whole hearted, "I already told you so.. At the convention. My stance has not wavered, either." She took a deep breath as she shook her head, smiling to herself as she closed her eyes, "I don't have the first clue about voice acting.. Real acting is more of an entirety thing.. But voice acting.." she flashed a smile, "You have to convey everything into words.. And that's much harder, I think.. But.. it's not about who's the best, or who has the most fans…" she opened her eyes to give him a small, reassuring smile, "It's about working hard to achieve things for yourself.. I don't want you, or Azuza, or anyone to change who they really are to fit the part of something else.. Not if it clashes with what you believe in.." His expression was stunned, eyes lidded almost lazily and his lips parted, though as she felt the true weight of her own words. She grew immediately embarrassed, lifting a hand to rub the back of her neck s she gave a nervous laugh, "Listen to me~! Talking big like I even know what it takes, but, you really should stay true to what you want and believe in, even if it seems a little-"

She'd heard the rustle of fabric, the only warning, before she was cut off, warm, firm lips pressing gently into her own in a soft, soothing caress. Her arms froze where they were, her fingers threatening to drop her bag as her eyes widened almost comically, face flushed red as she kept stock still. She felt his hands carefully gripping her upper arms, holding her in place as his lips molded to hers, the heartbeat in his hands picking up ever so slightly, but nowhere near the speed of the hummingbird wing impersonation that her own was doing.

It lasted nearly eight seconds, and when he pulled back with a soft breath of air, she couldn't help the sharp intake of air she had, muscles locked in place and lips parted just so, still tingling with the aftermath of his attention. _Holy.. hell_..

His eyes closed after a moment of looking over her face, his breath leaving in a soft sigh, voice low and soft, "Sorry.." He met her eyes gently through his thick lashes, and she couldn look away. "But you know.. For a depressed boy to get back on his feet.." He smiled a little, and she felt her heart stutter to continue beating.

"The thing he needs most.. Is a kiss from a cute girl.." She felt his right hand slide behind her shoulders, his left wrapping around her waist and pressing the small of her back forward, until her chest was pressed gently into his. And though the threat of fainting hung somewhere between her rapid heartbeat and irregular temperature, she felt her eyes slide closed, and his soft lips descended upon hers again with gentle, sweet reverence. She could almost taste the coffee he'd been drinking, and the scent of his cologne, faint, mixed with a scent so undeniably _male_.. She couldn't help but lean into the kiss, her free hand hesitant, before grasping onto the fabric of his coat, the occupied one clenching tighter to her bag to keep her grounded.

This one was longer, and she felt his hands carefully grasping onto the fabric of her coat, but as she finally found the thoughts to wonder _Is this really happening right now_..?, he pulled away gently, allowing her to take a much needed breath, as he put his lips to her ear, either ignorant of the instant shudder that skyrocketed up her body or choosing to ignore it.

"By the way.." he murmured softly, his breath ghosting over her ear as she fought the urge to squeal like a dying pig. "It's been bothering me for a while, now, but…" "W-What is it," her voice wavered as she shuddered, clenching her teeth as she listened to his breathing, his heart hammering beneath his chest, though she could faintly feel it against her own. "Isn't this scarf men's wear..?" He murmured, frmly. She felt her blood freeze in her veins, and she prayed to whatever power was listening that Natsume didn't wear it around Tsubaki, and that his scent wasn't as potent to his brother as it was to her. "You should see the left half of my closet," she managed to giggle, giving a small, awkward smile as he pulled away, his hands sliding back down until they rested at her upper arms once more, "It's just the design, well, it's kind of my style, actually.. And I don't know why, but it pisses me off.." "Oh," she muttered, dumbly, as she blinked up into his eyes, "Well, I just got this today, from a friend.. They know how much I like men's clothes, and knew I didn't have a decent scarf.." He hummed slightly, as if he were torn between believing her or not, before she pouted, her expression turning flat, "Do you have any idea how stupid women's scarves are? They're more for decoration than they are practical use.. It's annoying.."

He paused at that, his eyes wide as he looked down at her, before he burst into a small fit of laughter, her lips twitching in an effort not to smile as he shook his head, lifting a hand to pet her hair, though she refrained from moving it. He was having a bad day. She could play nice, for now..

"Thank you, Imouto-chan.." he murmured, tapping his forehead against hers before he straightened back up, flashing her a smile as he kept one arm around her waist, turning her to lead her toward the house, "It's late.. So.. I suppose I'll have to take up that ice cream offer another day.."

"It expires at the end of the year," she informed him calmly, grinning at his whine of surprise, "What~?" "Mhmm," she grinned, winking at him briefly before she started to jog ahead, "Can't have you getting ice cream and a present for your birthday~!" He paused behind her to sink in her words, before he took off running to catch up with her, laughing alongside her as she burst into a fit of giggles. "Race you back~?" he taunted playfully, but when he saw the sudden look of challenge in her eyes, he knew he struck gold, "Loser has to do the winner a favor?" "Deal," she grinned, and he hesitated before he smiled back as she stopped suddenly, grabbing at his coat so his heels could slide to a sudden stop, too. She slid her heel in the dirt below, making a temporary line, before gesturing him to take his place as she nodded, "On three?"

"One," he nodded, putting a foot back. Natasha grinned, "Two."

 _"Three_ -!" they shouted together, taking off toward the house. Tsubaki was just a few feet ahead of her the majority of the way.. Up until the last few blocks, when he heard a low, amused laugh, and he watched her dart forward, white hair swinging back at her neck as she sprinted the rest of the way. He followed at a near breakneck pace behind her, just inches from her heels, until they made it to the property, and reached the door, not slowing down at all as they both reached out their hands at the same time to touch the door, but one wrong place of his foot, a loose hem of her pants later, and they were falling through the threshold, one on top of the other, Natasha hitting the ground first before managed to brace his upper body from colliding with her, though his knee had found a place somewhere between her knees and his head had nearly gotten romantically involved with her spine.. Ouch.. It was quiet for a full six seconds as they panted, before she rolled onto her back, stretching her arms up with a holler as she cheered, out of breath, "Boo-ya-!.. I win-!"

"Are you okay?" she heard him gasp, feeling his hands reach down to grasp the sides of her face, tilting her head back to meet his eyes, though he was upside down. She laughed breathlessly at his expression, getting to her feet with his help as he got off of her, slinging an arm around her shoulder and hugging her gently. It was different than his normal, attention-seeking hugs.. This one was warmer.. With a bit of heavier atmosphere.. Natasha sighed, lifting her arms to wrap them around his waist, hugging him back carefully as she tucked her head down, his chin settling atop her head as they stood for a few more moments, when they pulled back, giving each other a slight smile as Natasha pushed the hair from her face, holding it back with a fist as she looked toward the door to go into the complex. "We better get going.. Dinner should be done, soon."

"Aye-aye, Imouto-chan~!" he sang, pecking her cheek before he walked past her, either ignorant or choosing to ignore her sharp inhale of breath, her stiff spine looking almost comical as she scurried past him to go up the stairs. "I'm going to go change, I'll see you at dinner." He paused on his trek up the stairs, his smile gentle and soft as he watched her disappear from sight, sighing out his exhaustion as he left to do the same, looking forward to once again sleeping under his own roof..

* * *

 _Arrow practically seethed down at the mousy receptionist, his green eyes blazing with near literal fire and his jaw set sharply._

 _"Who have you let in here-?" he'd been asking the same question for several minutes, but the answer had not changed. The little branch-off angel had no idea the severity of the current issue, and didn't seem to be catching on his important it was either._

 _"I'm sorry, Arrow, sir," the brunette, with deep blue eyes watched him with a scared, timid look, he was well-known and well-liked by the majority of the heavenly populace.. but once you've crossed him..._

 _It was a wonder his wings had not been torn from his body for his violence to liars or cheats._

 _Shudder._

 _"But there have been too many people for me to remember something like that.. there hasn't been anyone suspicious, but I can at least file a report to replace the lost inform-"_

 _"Forget it," Arrow cut him off sharply, tossing the male a sharp look before turning on his heel, "Repair the folder immediately and summon me when it is done. I have no time for this insistent trials and refuse to waste my time with this."_

 _"Of course, sir-! Right away-!" The mousy angel disappeared in a puff of feathers, and the blonde gave a deep, weathered sigh. He was not looking forward to seeing Natasha after such a breaking experience, but time moved differently here, and it had already been some time in the human realm since he'd last seen her._

 _For now, he would do his best to act nonchalant._

 _There was no need to worry her.._

 _Lord could only guess how she would react to this.._

 _Or anything, really..._


	21. Chapter 5: Part 1

"Eeh?!" Natasha jerked in surprise at the sight of the fridge, her balance threatening to send her falling backwards from her position crouched low in front of it, Juli within range to be squished not far behind her. She heard the commotion pause in the dining room a second later, followed closely by Tsubaki's question, and Wataru's panic. "What's wrong?" "Onee-chan?!" Wataru called, worry clear in his voice, "Did you hurt your hand?!" She looked up as she bit her lip, berating herself internally for not keeping up with the household tasks. Wataru's cute little head was poking up from the breakfast bar, and she sent him a slight smile, "No-no, Taru-chan.. It's just.. There's not enough ingredients to make dinner.." She had the vague thought of making a concoction for supper, but she didn't know how well they'd react to the strange looking- but oddly tasty aftermaths.

"That's not like Kyo.." Azuza mused idly, turning back to the table once he was certain she wasn't injured. Masaomi however, was smooth to continue, "He's had a lot of trials to deal with lately, so.." "Must be tough to be a grand old lawyer," Tsubaki sang, smiling a little as he shook his head. Natasha sighed as she stood, pulling a pad of paper and a pen from a nearby drawer and writing down a list of all the possible ingredients and items of food to get for the house after school tomorrow. Also writing a memo to pack more food into Ukyo's bentos in the morning so he had a bit more energy for the day..

"I should head to the store now to get dinner ingredients," Natasha announced quickly, moving to pull off the apron and turn for the hallway, "I can shop for the rest tomorrow after school-" She'd barely made it ten feet for her room, when a hand caught her shoulder, and she glanced back to see a pink sleeve, and Tsubaki's trademark grin, "Today it's just us, plus Subaru. We could go out, don't you think?" She jumped in surprise a how close he was, subtly turning her body so she could face, him, though his arms crossed over his chest with ease as she slipped from his grasp, his slight mile growing ever so slightly at the light pink that dusted her face. She was too cute..

"Are we going out?!" Wataru exclaimed gleefully, ignorant to the tension clouding his sister, "A family restaurant?!" "Family restaurants are boring, too," Azuza cut in calmly, his head propped onto a fist as he returned his attention to the script of what she assumed was a project.

"Then, cherry blossoms-!" Wataru conceded, nearly jumping in place as he begged his older brothers still at the table, "We can go picnic under the cherry blossoms-! We haven't gone yet-!" He started chanting "Cherry Blossoms-!" over and over, Natasha already having been won over at the first suggestion.. God she was going to end up spoiling that kid rotten…

"That sounds alright," Azuza relented with ease, though at that point Wataru had taken to running around the table with his chant, back and forth in his limitless supply of energy.

"A night viewing of the cherry blossoms isn't a bad idea," Masaomi agreed brightly, coffee in hand as he looked over the newspaper. Wataru was still running around like the energizer bunny on crack. Natasha wanted to laugh at the mental artist rendering, but held it down, opting instead to focus on another issue, "What about Subaru..? Isn't he at practice..?"

"I'll let him know," Tsubaki reassured her calmly, his hands in his pockets as they observed the energy that was Wataru, "so it'll be fine." He shrugged a little, waving his hand in the air slightly as he continued, "While I'm at it, I guess I'll give Natsume a call, too, since he's likely to be free."

Wataru skid to a halt at her side, and she bent over to be eye level as he spoke, his face almost sparkling in his excitement, "Let's go-! Let's go-! Cherry blossom picnic-!"

Natasha sighed, smiling as she shook her head, "Well.. I suppose I can fry up some chicken and dango.. Maybe toss in some things for a fruit salad.."

"Yay-!" Wataru was once again speeding around the room with his hands in the air, his chant turning to something along the line of "Onee-chan's fried chicken-! Onee-chan's fried chicken-!" over and over repeatedly..

Natasha shook her head with a smile, rolling up her sleeves as she prepared to wash her hands, watching Masaomi as he moved to stand. "Nothing but convenience store food would be dull.. So I'll say yes, please." He set his hand out without thought, stopping Wataru mid cheer and halting him in his tracks with minimal effort. Natasha's firm expression of awe was enough to set Tsubaki snorting in laughter, but a light shove from her and a turn for the kitchen turned it into full blown laughing.

"And don't forget the beer, please," Azuza called after her, her dismissive wave the only response as she disappeared from view to find the pans.

* * *

"Azuza-nii," Natasha called through the doorway, currently wrapping a blanket around the food to place it in the picnic crate.. Because the word basket did not imply enough space.. This was a lot of food.. "What is it?" he asked curiously, moving to sand in the doorway, watching her work. Natasha sighed, pointing to the larger beach-type bag she'd scavenged from her room, "Would you be a dear and get a few towels from the bathroom.. Preferably ones that can get ruined.." "Dear..?" he repeated the English word slowly, eyebrows furrowed when she seemed to pause, backtracking her words before she facepalmed, grumbling beneath her breath before she gave him a pointed look, "This is my first picnic.. And I seem to have this uncanny ability to cause disaster.. So.. if you could.." "Would it put your mind at ease?" he asked calmly, a smile toying at his lips. She nodded firmly, and he chuckled, turning to get two small towels from the guest bath and returning to put it in the designated bag. By this time, she was putting water bottles, as well as packs of beer, into a cooler, face set in stone as she worked, occasionally breaking the cycle to brush the hair from her face or take inventory.

Azuza had stood in the threshold for at least a full minute before she noticed him, the give away being that she jumped nearly sky high and had a hand at her chest. "All of you are ghosts.." she whimpered, leaning against the counter in dejected fatigue, "You all need to make more noise when you walk.. I can't take much more of this.." "Perhaps you should reel your head in from the clouds," he chuckled, patting her head briefly as he passed her and smiling as she quickly moved to fix over what he had touched.

She'd run up to her room one last time before they were to go, changing into a simple black sweater, grey skinny jeans, and black boots. She pinned her hair up, and pulled the scarf loosely around her neck, making sure she had her wallet and phone in her bra before she pulled on her grey trench coat. She slung a large, pear shaped case over her back as she left the room, her hands in her pockets as she caught the boys watching her, eyeing the case curiously as she shook her head with a secretive wink. Her hair was pulled back into a loose, low bun, several strands brushing her face as she met the boys at the door, meeting Wataru's hug with her own before she grinned, "Let's get going so Taru-chan can find us a good spot-!" "Cherry blossoms-! Cherry blossoms-!" he cheered.

* * *

"Woah," Natasha breathed, blinking in pleasant surprise at the beautiful scenery around them, families and groups of friends all relaxing with blankets around the park. Masaomi was setting up the blanket, while Tsubaki spread out the food, Wataru taking both of her hands and leading her toward the lake with palpable excitement, "Look-! Look-! The ducks are out today-!"

"Oh, you're right," she giggled, patting his head as he leaned against the protective fence, keeping her hand gently on his shoulder in case a worst possible scenario played out. She smiled, patting his head as several ducks kicked toward them, and she tugged at the child's shoulder, putting a finger to her lips for quiet, "Want to see a trick?" He nodded in wonder as she got onto her knees beside him, facing the water as she put her hands in a box shape over her mouth, taking a deep breath in. He heard a loud duck sound, and his eyes grew to the size of saucers as she shifted her hands, calling out to the ducks in a sound almost exactly like theirs. "Woah~!" he watched in awe as several ducks flapped, before they swam over quickly, squawking at Natasha as if in a conversation. Natasha blew back a response, and Waaru slid his eyes from one to the other in awe. "Awesome-!"

"It's easy," Natasha grinned, going behind him and grabbing his hands, cupping them together to form a sort of pocket and bringing them up to his face, "Just.. puff up your cheeks and blow.." He did as was told, but failed, moving to sit next to her as he continued to mimic her squabble. She giggled every once in awhile when he'd start to get it, and after about ten minutes, he was almost better than her.. Sounding more like a duckling than a full bird, though..

"Very good," Natasha grinned, patting his head as he cheered, talking back and forth with the ducks that had stayed to watch them, their blank expressions almost looking like superior beings.. _Shudder_.. "Oi-!" The call came from behind them and they turned to see Tsubaki with his hands cupped around his mouth, Azuza waving at them nearby. "It's time to eat-!"

"Alright-!" Natasha called, standing to brush off her jeans as Wataru joined her, grabbing her hand without a thought and pulling her along to the blanket with a giggle. Natasha couldn't help but hug him before they sat down, pecking his forehead before she crossed her ankles, sliding into an indian position with ease and putting her hands on her knees, facing the three boys with a grin as they shook their heads, smiling.

After about twenty minutes of slow eating and animated discussions, Natasha felt the urge to mess with Tsubaki, who was quite tipsy at this point. With a sneaky smile, she waited until they had began another heated argument before she slipped her hands to her case, prying it open just enough to pull out the electric-accoustic guitar, tracing her index finger down the purple face with the galaxy butterfly decor, the strings custom made to be white against the black staff. She pulled it to her lap swiftly, listening to the others as she tuned it softly, before interrupting them with a loud, reverberating guitar riff. They snapped their eyes to her in shock, and she sent them an innocent smile. She felt eyes on her back from the rest of the park, but ignored them, sending Tsubaki a smirk as she plucked a the specific chords.. "Oi.. Nii-chan.. Care to sing along?" "Oh~?" he played along slyly, leaning forward with a mischievous smile, "What song~?" "Not sure yet," she flashed a grin, "Start singing and I'll throw in some music." He flashed a grin as he got to his feet, Masaomi shaking his head slowly while Azuza pulled out his phone, pressing the record button just as Tsubaki cleared his throat, facing the rest of the park with an exaggerated sweep of his arm, "Ladies and Gentleman~! Presenting~! Asahina Tsubaki~! Accompanied by Hinata-Asahina Natasha~!" Natasha gave a short riff of approval, a small gaggle of girls grouping together just a bit closer in curiousity. Natasha rolled her eyes in amusement as they started fawning, and she started to play a few chords, listening to Tsubaki start humming a random tune, nearly bursting out laughing at the irony before she nodded, nudging him with her elbow as she stood, getting to his side as she fixed her stance, giving him a wink as he tapped in with his foot.

" _My sister_ ~!" She bit her lip to keep from laughing at how on-key he was, focusing on playing the song how she remembered with a dazed look in her eyes, feeling the general warmth of the music spread up her fingers through her arm and fog her brain to goo.

" _I am madly in love with you~! I wish you'd choose me~! Let me pro-tect you~! I can't withstand your smile, and your gaze- I've already exceeded my limit~! Kiss-Kiss-Kiss- I need your love~_!" Tsubaki was smooth with bringing the lyrics, his entire posture radiating confidence as the pitch of his voice blended with the metallic sound of the guitar. It was a minute or two before the song began to close, Natasha having sung the little echoes and Juli's parts while withholding laughter. When she let the last chord die, hand raised triumphantly in the air, Tsubaki in a similar pose beside her with a spoon/microphone at his mouth, they listened as the now forefront gaggle of women and girls began cheering for an encore and begging for autographs. "Woah-!" Natasha felt a weight on her shoulder, feeling Tsubaki slump into her with a pleased hum as he grinned, "How'd you do that?!" he demanded in a slight slur, his eyes twinkling in drunken mirth as she excused them, with a bit of effort, from the fans to haul his ass back to the blanket, "It's like you knew exactly the music to play for the words-!" "It's a secret~!" she mock whispered in his ear, lifting a hand to press a finger to his mouth as they got nearer to the others, who were joined by a certain auburn haired male, so she lowered her voice further, "I'll tell you later~!"

Tsubaki pouted, but allowed her to stall him, letting him fall to a heap on the blanket as she laughed, setting the guitar down in her lap as she waved to the third triplet. "Ey-o, Natsume-san-!" she grinned. She noticed his empty hands, and her hostess gene kicked in, her hands immediately flipping up a bottle and flicking out a cup to pour a drink, capping the bottle in one hand as she held out the cup of tea to him a moment later, the whole process taking about six seconds. "Here, Natsu-nii," she smiled, brightly, placing the tea bottle back into the cooler after he'd taken it with a "Thank-you."

She sat back on her legs again with a sigh, shaking her head at the sight of Azuza fanning Tsubaki with his script. Jeez, he's on a family outing and he's still working..

"Sorry to spring this on you all of a sudden," she offered Natsume a smile, and his eyes flashed from her neck, where his scarf lay tugged loosely around her shoulders, to meet her own eyes calmly, "I know you said this part of the year was really busy.. But we thought it'd be good to have a nice family outing.."

"Nah," he sighed, lifting the cup to his lips. Still feeling restless, Natasha glanced around, finding the container of fried chicken, before she held it out to him, as if in a peace offering, "Help yourself-! There's plenty here, so you can even take some home if you'd like to."

"Onee-chan made the fried chicken~!" Wataru cheered, watching on with childish glee as the redhead reached forward to taking a kabob, "Then.." bringing it to his lips gently, he took a bite, chewing in silence as Natasha bit the inner lining of her lip, fists clenched into the fabric of her sweater. He opened his eyes to her expression, his voice quiet, but firm as he raised an eyebrow, "What're you looking at me like you were worried, for?" Her blush was instantaneous as she forced her gaze away, instead looking to see a baby squirrel join its guardian on a low hanging branch of a nearby sakura tree.

"It's.. good.."

Her ears perked up at his voice, and she glanced over to see him reaching for another, his eyes lowered once again to avoid confrontation. Natasha smiled, showing teeth as she closed her own eyes, letting out a soft breath of relief she hadn't known she was holding. "I'm glad.. That's a relief.." He brought his cup to his lips without another word, and Natasha laughed, reaching over to grab her guitar as she started to pluck the strings, as if to tune it, then gave Wataru a grin. "Taru-chan.. Do you like cake..?" "Huh?" he looked absolutely confused, so she giggled, "Do you know how to make a cake, Taru-chan?" she asked, again, and when he shook his head, she grinned, "Oh? But it's so easy.." A quick, light melody left her fingers as she sat up straighter, flashing Wataru's big, curious eyes a grin before she started singing, her voice light and pure as she closed her eyes.

" _I'll pile on the candy.. It's such a pretty sight~! Makes the food taste dandy but your tummy hurts all night-!_ " The brothers watched curiously as she tapped her foot to the beat, a number of onlooking families watching nearby as she her voice went to a more noticeable, but no less melodic, volume. " _I'll put in some ingredients, but keep the rest for me~! I'm not just disobedient, I'm careful, can't you see~?_ " The tone of the song changed, and she sounded much more like a mentor, swaying her shoulders as she let the music pour out of her system like a broken glass. " _It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake, if the way is hazy~! You've gotta do the cookin' by the book- You know you can't be lazy~! Never use a messy recipe, the cake will end up crazy~! If you do the cookin' by the book- then you'll have a cake-!_ " She looked like she wanted to laugh as she continued, Wataru clapping along the the beat while the others watched on in either stunned silence or with a drunken grin (I wonder who..?)...

" _We've got to have it made~! You know that I love cake~! Finally it's time to make a cake-_!" Natasha peeked open an eye at Wataru's giggle, shock briefly coursing through her spine at the sight of about four other kids clapping along with him with childish enthusiasm. Since the song was so short, in actuality, she played it thrice, having gotten the children to sing the a semblance of the chorus by the time she was done, and as she lowered her guitar, she listened to the polite applause echoing around the trees, along with the now multiplied to eight children, majority of which were either the same height or smaller than Wataru, with a few who looked slightly older just on the fringe. "Onee-chan is so good at guitar~!" Wataru sang brightly, clapping his hands with each syllable, "Awesome-awesome-!"

"Ohh~!" she grinned, leaning over to ruffle his hair, "Not as awesome as Taru-chan~!" "Onee-chan~" he whined, pouting as she played with his hair. He was so cute~ Like a little Teddy~!

She spent the next half hour or so playing for the kids a few yards away, Masaomi occasionally checking in between songs as she played her guitar to her mini-audience. Focusing mostly on innocent Lazytown songs, sweet lullabies, and a few catchy pop songs from her world.

As she strummed the last chord of 'Safe and Sound' with a melodic hum, the children clapped wholeheartedly, speaking all at once with requests and questions. It took her a moment to break away from them, excusing herself to get a drink to soothe her throat. Wataru was gifted with the task of watching her guitar, much to the young boy's awe, as she made him cross his heart, swearing to protect the beloved possession. She sealed a deal with a kiss to his forehead, before waving and moving to check the picnic. When she'd gotten there, she wasn't surprised to see Tsubaki thoroughly buzzed, or the drinks practically evaporating. "I can run to the store to get more drinks," Natasha offered, popping up behind Natsume so suddenly he nearly jumped from his skin, giving her 'tsk'ing sound as he scowled, her smile innocent as she batted her eyelashes.

"Are you sure you want to?" Masaomi furrowed his brow, clearly not fully on board, "It's getting dark.." "I'll be in and out like a ninja cat," she held out a thumbs up, before she deflated, pressing her fingers together awkwardly as she looked out toward the lake, "Plus.. a break sounds nice.." Azuza chuckled gently, before tilting his head back, "I'm alright with it.." "I don't know.." Masaomi murmured, only to be cut off a thin purple stick flashed in front of his eyes, swaying side to side mockingly as Natasha hummed, her tone dry, "I have pepper spray, and I know martial arts.. Can I please have your blessing to walk fifty yards?"

"..."

* * *

Natasha cradled the back of her head in a Naruto fashion as she climbed the stairs, smelling the crisp air and enjoying the sounds of the ight.

"You.. Are you alone?" a familiar voice cut through her haze, as she carefully slid her hand into the collar of her coat, grabbing at the stick of pepper spray before she met eyes with Subaru, her breath leaving her in a whoosh. "Damn, Suba-nii," she gave him a wry smile, "Any other guy and you'd be tasting pepper.." she shrugged off his confused look, before she explained, "We were low on drinks and I volunteered.." "Then I'll help," he stated evenly, no room for argument.

He'd spun on his heel and started to walk in the direction he came from, Natasha hesitating only a moment before she took off jogging to match his face, eyebrows raised in surprise and awe, "I'm starting to think you're not human…" He slid his eyes to hers in a silent question, and she elaborated without prompt, "I mean, you just got off of practice, right? Normal humans don't have super stamina.." "I figured you could use a hand," He smiled slightly, though she missed it, until he cracked a slight joke, "Considering Tsubaki is out there, now.. I'm certain that you'll need more beer.." Natasha laughed openly, his eyes sliding to her face slowly before he focused back on the convenient store just up ahead. "Hey.. Where's that little guy.." at her confused expression, he pointed to her shoulder, "The one who sits on your shoulder?"

"Oh, Juli.." she cracked a nervous smile, shaking her head, "At home, resting off a bad tin of sushi.." He blinked in surprise at her choice of wording, but left it for now.

* * *

"Well that was a lot quicker than I expected it to be," Natasha admit as they retraced their steps back toward the park, her hands fisting into her sweater dejectedly as she glared to the bags he refused to let her carry, "Aren't those heavy..?"

"No."

Awkward silence settled around them, and she frowned, turning her gaze to the path to make sure she didn't trip.

"You know.." he trialed off, and at the opportunity for conversation, she pounced, "Know what?" "About.. What I said the other day..:

She looked up to him briefly before returning her eyes to the path, "What about it?"

He hesitated a bit, eyes trained firmly ahead, before he continued, "My next game.. Will you, come for sure, to see it?" His voice went a tone lower, and she glanced to him from the corner of her eye with a slight smile, looks like she didn't need to invest in a car battery.. "I.. want to win, in front of you.." "I already promised," she said after a minute, her tone light and cheery as he glanced back down to her, though her expression was cool and relaxed as she held her arms behind her head, completely at ease, "I'm just trying to figure out if I should wear face paint or not.." "Face paint…?" he repeated slowly, his tone flat. "Mhmm.." she flashed him a grin, putting a finger to her cheek, "I already got a team jersey off of the website online, and pompoms, to cheer you on, I don't go to sporting events often, so the fact that you want me there gives me reason to go all out."

She heard a snort, and glanced up in surprise as Subaru raised his arm, hiding his lower face with his wrist as he looked away, the slight tremble of his shoulders gave away to is amusement. "Hey~!" Natasha whined, pouting at his turned head, "You're laughing at me.."

"You're such a dork.." he murmured, and she nearly faltered in her steps as she stared unblinkingly at his partially hidden smile. _Dear god, what is wrong with her…_

"Hey Natsume~! Are you drinking~? You should drink more~!" Tsubaki was laughing next to Azuza, having risen from his buzzed nap to hang on Azuza's shoulder, laughing merrily while the raven chastised him about his drinking habits. "I think you've had enough, Tsubaki.."

"Oh, Subaru," Masaomi greeted, drawing the groups attention behind them to see Subaru accompanied by the much shorter female, who was currently playing with the ends of her Christmas scarf. "What's this~?" Tsubaki sang, suspicion in his drunken slur, "The two of you showing up together.." "Aniki, what are you implying?" Natasha rolled her eyes, letting the ends of the scarf fall back to her chest as she crossed her ankles, falling into the indian-position with ease as she moved to grab a disposable cup, "You are a horrid drinker, Tsubaki.." "Is this just a coincidence~?" he slurred, but Subaru cut in this time, "Of course it's a coincidence." He looked around them briefly, before his brow furrowed, "Huh? Where's Wataru?" Natasha tensed immediately as she darted her eyes around, falling on the little boy just twenty or so meters out, near the lake, with a sigh of relief. "Now that you mention it.." Tsubaki said slowly, the rest of the boys looking around, as well. Masaomi had a trace of concern in his tone, "He was here just a moment ago."

"He's over there," Natasha announced calmly, catching everyone's attention as they looked over to where she was pointing, a curious little Wataru leaning against the fence with a guitar strapped to his back by a black strap. He was making the quaking sounds with the trick she showed him, and Natasha flipped out her phone with a grin, "I'm taking a video, this is just too-" she watched him waver against the fence, and panic set in as the others gasped. "Wataru-!" she called, scrambling to her feet, until she saw a dash of black and orange pass her, watching as Natsume sprinted away from the blanket toward the child. Natasha held stock still, the recording device still in hand, as she watched Wataru flail backward after a defensive squawk from the duck, landing directly over the base of the guitar and giving out a loud creaking sound, just as Natsume's foot caught on his torso, and he went sailing over the fence, arm outstretched, as he kept his face carefully blank, before sailing into the water with a large splash. Natasha was frozen in shock with the rest of the males, before she'd bolted over to them, snatching her bag on the way as she sailed for Wataru as if her feet could fly.

Natsume sat up in the water with a cough, spitting out the offending liquid and using his hands to wipe it from his eyes. Natasha gave Wataru a quick once over to be sure he was fine, before she bolted for the fence, nearly hanging over it herself as she reached out a hand, eyes wide, "Natsu-! Are you okay?!" She was too preoccupied with reaching for the red-head, her short arms an intense problem. He shook his head at her as he tried to stand, slipping in the mud and landing with another splash as she reeled back to cover her face, looking back in surprise at the sound of Tsubaki's laughter.

The white haired male flashed her a smile as he pet her one the head, "Don't worry, Imouto-chan~ I'll take care of it.." "Be gentle," she warned, bending over to check her bag for the towels she made Azuza pack, the raven haired male giving her a startled look as she pulled them out, his voice low enough that only she could here him, "So this is what you meant by trouble.." "Sometimes I wonder if I'm psychic," she chuckled, flinching at the sound of another loud splash, before shooting Tubaki a glare, Azuza quick to shut down his laughter, "Enough of that, now, Tsubaki.."

When he'd finally been completely pulled out of the water, Natasha set to work helping him to the cement, helping him to sit down before brandishing the smaller towels, pulling one around his shoulders while she started to dry his hair with another.

"Are you seriously, okay, Natsume?" she asked softly, watching as water continued to drip down his face and neck. "I had a feeling I would need these, but.." "Thank you," he stated calmly, his face lowered slightly as she finished with his hair, and began patting at his neck and face, his expression stony. "Was it really a coincidence..?" His tone was low, but loud enough for a few of the others to hear, although it took her a minute to catch up. "That you ran into Subaru along the way?"

"Oh," she sighed in silent relief, before patting his head, like a dog-pat, "Natsu~ Natsu~ Relax.. I almost pepper sprayed him, actually.." He raised an eyebrow at that, looking cross between wanted to smile or shake his head.

"Natsume.." Azuza called, and the two crouching looked up to see both him and Tsubaki standing in front of them. "Sorry for Tsubaki pulling that stunt on you.." "Not like it's anything new," Natsume sighed, dismissing it with ease. "Now this is what they call "A tall glass of water"," Tsubaki laughed, shoulders shaking in merriment as Natasha continued to pat down the red-heads clothes, starting at his shoulders and back.

"Why don't you take a shower at our place before you go?" Azuza offered politely, and Natasha felt her heart stutter, making sure she didn't pause her ministrations to his suit. Frowning at the ruined tie, her voice pitching in after a pause, "I could throw your laundry in the wash, too.."

"Yeah," Natsume nodded, lifting the towel she had put around his neck to his face so he could wipe at his eyes, "I think I'll do that.."

"Did you get hurt, Wataru?" Natasha tuned to the younger boy, then, surprised to see his shocked face as he stared down at the instrument in his lap, eyes wide and unblinking. "Taru?" she repeated, moving closer to kneel in front of him, taking a good look at her guitar before she raised both eyebrows in surprise. _Okay-.. Wow_ … "Wataru.." she repeated, and she was met with a crying child clinging to her, arms wrapped tightly around her waist as she sat stock still, her expression calm as he cried into her shoulder, "I'm sorry-! I'm sorry-! I didn't mean to break it-! It was an accident Onee-chan-! Please don't be mad-!"

"Wataru," she pressed his shoulders back so he was forced to look her in the eye, his eyes glassy from crying as he pouted at her stern expression, "Are you hurt?" "No.." he murmured, glancing dejectedly at the cracked face of the guitar, one of the galaxy butterflies having a snake-like crack patterned across the design and stemming toward the bridge. "Good" she pat his head, his surprise evident as she fixed the strap from around his shoulder and hauled the instrument onto her back, taking his hand gently, "I could care less about an instrument, Taru-chan, as long as you're not hurt, it's fine.." He sniffled a little at that, and she grinned, switching tactics, "So, did you get wet?"

"No," he shook his head, smiling a little as he continued, "I'm not Natsu-! I'd never fall in-!" "That's very smart," she grinned patting his head as he started to giggle, "Is Natsu not smart?" he asked innocently, and she could only laugh, shaking her head with mirth, "That's not what I meant, Taru.. Natsu's smart in his own way.." She leaned closer to him, then, whispering something into his ear that none of the others could hear. Wataru's eyes lit up immediately, and looked at his sister in awe, "You're going to do that, Onee-chan-?" "Shh-!" Natasha hushed him, smiling at his obedient nod, before she spun on her heel to face the now suspicious others, Wataru giggling quietly behind her back as she flashed them all a patient smile, "We better head back, soon. We don't want Natsume-nii to catch the flu." "Right," Masaomi gave her a smile, moving to help Azuza and Subaru clean up the picnic as Natasha sidled up next to Natsume, slipping the soaked towel from around his shoulders and giving him a secretive smile. His eyes followed her form as she walked away, hips swaying almost cat-like as she snuck up and over to the cleaning males, the next few events leaving him briefly stunned.

There was a crack.

A yelp.

And a Tsubaki was hurtling over the cooler, having been packing the drinks away, his fists now buried in the grass as he looked backwards in surprise, Natasha swinging the once tightly spun towel loosely around in her hand as she laughed, shoulders shaking as she threw back her head. "What was that for~?"

"Natsume-nii wasn't going to give you payback," she flashed her teeth in her smile, soothing the burn of his embarrassment by offering him a hand up, "Figured I'd take it upon myself.." He let her help him up, her strength nearly causing him to fall into her completely as she hauled him up by his wrist, catching him mid-way and steadying him with a grin, his buzzed shock distracted as she felt his forehead, her face twisting in displeasure as she narrowed her eyes, "You're going to bed when we get home, too.. Your body is rejecting the alcohol.."

By the time they'd walked back and Azuza had excused himself to put Tsubaki to bed, Natasha also to check on Juli and Masaomi left to do work, Natsume was left alone to take a shower.

* * *

 _Arrow paced along the rather short hallway outside of his one, and only, superior's office. He didn't count the Lord as a Superior, more like a Gospelic interpretation of_ Hope _. The walls were a neutral beige, with pure white trimming at the floor, matching the popcorn ceilings nearly ten feet above head. The furniture of dull waiting chairs, as well as the occasional pot for plants were deep earthy brown. However, the true testaments of color were the stained glass windows. Rather than the 'biblical' scenes usually located in churches or convents, each and every window here was laced with thousands upon thousands of colored shards that collaborated to create stars, galaxies, and the occasional depiction of a notable warrior among the angelic ranks._

 _Sworde was the_ highest _ranking official in the "judicial" system, of sorts. Basically a hierarchy of angelic political and social standings. there were, however, the few deceptions that were granted to leaders who earned their titles though work, rather than standing or deception._

 _The door to his office was a reliable oak, but charmed heavily from within to be soundproof._

 _A squad was being put together.. Something he had very little hope he would be able to keep this out of his Mistress's ears and eyes.._ Well _, he surmised after pausing beside a luscious potted fern plant in the neutral-toned hallway,_ the creations would provide her with some sort of entertainment _, so long as they each completed their current assignments, but, judging by the current, lengthy discussion, he was unaware of how long that would be._


	22. Chapter 5: part 2

Natasha yawned as she hurried home, breathing in the sweet scent of cherry blossoms as she walked, Yusuke was held back for some reason or another again, and she assured him she would be able to get home without becoming a victim of vehicular manslaughter. His responding look was a tad scary, though..

When she'd made it back, she glanced around the messy sidewalk, shaking her head as she picked up the pace to run inside, there was a broom in the utility closet, right..?

By the time she'd gotten the broom slung over her shoulder and jogged back out to sweep, she was pleasantly surprised to see the sidewalk clear of petals and leaves, her eyebrows shooting into her hairline as she looked it over in silence, then, with a strained voice, "Am I.. seriously going insane..?" Her ears perked up at the sound of footsteps, and she turned her head to see A taller figure walking down the path, a broom in one hand and a plastic sack in the other. "Oh, Subaru-!" She called out, his head lifting up to see her in slight surprise, eyes narrowing in confusion at the broom in her hands, but softening at her awkward laugh. "Did you sweep all this up by yourself..?"

"Yeah," he gave a slight nod, and she rubbed the back of her neck, shifting her weight on her feet, "So I am to guess that you are in charge of keeping this area neat..?" She gave him a slight smile, and a voice behind her caused her to glance back in surprise, seeing Iori waving with his gentle smile. "Welcome back.."

"Oh, hey Iori," she smiled, lowering the broom as not to accidentally hit someone, " _Tadaima_." She heard footsteps, again, turning to watch Subaru walk away without another word, a dejected look crossing over her face for a few seconds before she brushed it off, looking over to Iori as he came within polite speaking distance, his expression kind, "What's wrong?"

"Oh," her face fell flat for a second, debating whether or not to say, before she went with it, "Nothing big.. I just feel a little bad that he swept on his own.."

"Don't worry about it," he reassured her brightly, his voice still soft as she resisted to urge to pinch his cheek, was he _trying_ to be a perfect prince? He's aiming at that bar pretty well.. "That's Subaru-nii's job.. We all have our jobs around the condo.." "So.." she trialed off, her eyes finding the red tulips with curiosity in her tone, brushing up on her clueless skills. Score one for Nat. "What about the beautiful flower beds..?" "Aah," he smiled, flashing his teeth a little at her compliment, "That's my job." "Oh-!" Natasha perked up as she turned to him, smiling brightly in return, "It's wonderful that there are always such vibrant flowers growing here.. _Ano_.." she felt a little trepidation as she sought for the words, his curious confusion clouding his face like a small puppy as she rubbed the back of her neck, her expression inquisitive. "You wouldn't happen to be the boy that gave me flowers on my first day, then?" "Yeah, I guess," he smiled bashfully, his head tipping own just the slightest as she turned to give him a slight smile, "Thank you very much.. I really loved them."

"I'm glad that you liked them," he smiled.

"They really cheered me up," she nodded, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment, "I, uh.. Actually pressed a few of them to put in a book or two.." "Oh?" he gave a slight chuckle, reaching into the bag he held, before pulling out a bright red tulip, holding it up to her with a smile, "Then here.." "Oh," she breathed, taking the stem carefully and smelling its sweet scent, before giving Iori a grin, "Thank you so much, Iori, it's beautiful." "Anytime," he pat her head briefly as he turned to leave, "If you will excuse me, I need to finish watering them.." "Thank you, again," she waved as he disappeared into a small shed, turning to go to her room with a smile on her face. Getting a flower from a prince wasn't particularly a declaration of love, but she was enjoying the gesture immensely.. It had been awhile since she'd gotten a flower directly from someone..

She'd found a spare vase beneath her bathroom sink, filling it with water and some flower nutrients she created, and setting it carefully on the shelf beside her desk, sitting down to pull out some large manga paper. She kind of wanted to start on _that_ again…

"In the language of flowers, a red tulip means 'declaration of love'-!" Juli hissed, the female at her chair sending him a deadpanned look as he continued, "Chii-! Who gave this to you?!"

"Iori did," she rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the manga paper with ease as she started drawing out the boxes with a ruler, "And it also means 'believe me'.. So try not to look into it, too much.." "No-!" he argued defiantly, his owner ignoring him as she traced carefully with a pencil, "These males are perpetually in mating-season mode, and you can't let your guard down-!"

She jerked a little at his outburst, groaning softly at the small mistake in the dialogue box.. "Juli... " She'd have to start over...

* * *

"I can't remember that last time I was intimidated by a piece of meat," Natasha swallowed thickly as she stared at the slice of meat clearly bigger than her head, Ukyo giving a slight chuckle at her apprehension, "To make up for the cherry blossom picnic the other day, we will have a feast today." "That doesn't make it any less intimidating," she mumbled low, pouting as she heard him hum in acknowledgement. "I can do it, if you'd like." Now that was a strike on her pride..

"It's fine-!" she cut in quickly, suppressing the defiant gleam in her eyes as she gave a slight smile, "I can do it, but.. Do you think you can show me..? For future reference, of course.."

He nodded, holding out his hands on front of him in tandem with his words, "Apply light pressure with your left hand, and use your right to follow the grain.." The terms flew over her head epicly, and when he glanced over to see if she understood, he gave a light chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Well.. I say that.. But it's hard to explain in words.." He shifted on his feet until he was behind her, his arms going around her to overlap hers, his fingers slipping the knife into her right hand smoothly as he spoke, his voice politely indifferent, "If you'll excuse me for a moment.." Natasha felt her blood screech to a halt, but she pushed it aside, swallowing as she nodded, "It's fine.."

"Like this.. Hold it here.." his voice was low due to the close proximity, and she had to keep herself from physically shuddering at the feel of his breath at the shell of her ear, "And the knife.. Goes like this.." He helped her make two successful cuts, before he smiled, tilting his head to look at her while she stared at the cutting board, "See? There is nothing to it once you get the hang of it."

"What are you two doing, fooling around?"

"Hah-?" Ukyo stepped back so fast she was sure her skin had burned him, though she had already stilled herself before Hikaru had gotten there, turning her head to look at him in confused surprise, before sending him a smile, "Yo, Hika-chan~ Ukyo was showing me how to cut beef bigger than my face." She bright, innocent tone she had used had Hikaru's smug look slapped off abruptly, looking at her in surprise as he tilted his head, before smiling back, warmer this time, "Is that so~?" he purred, and in all honesty, she should have expected the dirty joke. "Does big meat intimidate you~?"

"That is exactly what I was just saying-!" Natasha raised her eyebrows in shock, giving him a grin, "Do you side job as psychic in your free time, Aniki?"

He chuckled under his breath at Ukyo's silent sputtering, giving him a haughty smirk before giving his brother a sweet look befitting a saint. "Don't worry~ I won't tell anyone, about how you were fooling around with imouto-chan in the kitchen.." "Fooling around?" Natasha repeated dubiously before she turned back to the meat, spinning the knife in her hand ten times over a finger, before setting to work at light speed, her face concentrated.

"I do not believe I did anything along the lines of what you suspect-!" Ukyo defended himself firmly. "Than what _do_ you believe you did~?" Hikaru's tone was teasing, but while she was working, Natasha could hear the underlying accusation in his tone, "When you were holding her hand, the back of your neck was flushed.. What do you believe that was about, hmm?" "Obviously it's hot in here? And that's not fooling around.." Natasha offered easily, once again twirling the knife expertly around her fingers, though their slight looks of panic only made her flash a grin, "Now _this_ is fooling around.. Knives are the one thing I have confidence to never hurt myself with.." "Please don't risk it.." Ukyo's strained plea was all she needed to toss it up, then slip into a stop between her index and middle finger, the handle pointed out toward him to appeal for forgiveness, "Sorry, Hika-chan was just making you look uncomfortable.." She heard Juli before she saw him, flinching after the knife was taking from her grasp before she shot her hand out, grasping him by the bow just inches before he'd crash into Ukyo's unsuspecting face, pulling the rodent back to her chest quietly before sending the hissing squirrel a look, "Juli.. Don't."

"First the red tulip and now this?!" he was pretty ballistic at this point, though she looked vaguely unaffected, "The damned males of this house are unbelievable-!" "Don't let Louis hear you saying that," Natasha cracked a small smile as she pet away his anxiety, the ring to summon Arrow tucked safely in her pocket as she breathed a soft sigh, "Relax, fluffenbotoms.." "Chii~!" he whined.

"You're attended by an exceedingly determined knight, aren't you?" Hikaru smiled at her, and she gave him a polite smile as Juli continued to hiss at the blonde.

"At least he's not swearing," she smiled in agreement, listening to her companion grumble dark words of contempt as Ukyo shifted in his glare. "Sorry, Kyo-nii.." "It's fine.." he murmured, turning to avoid the rodents glare, checking over her work with a smile, "It looks great.." "Anything else I can do?" she chirped moving to set Juli down on the floor as she turned to Ukyo with a salute, "At your service-!" Hikaru eyed her back for a moment, watching their interactions with a trained eye as he leaned back, one heel tapping quietly, idly over the floor in thought, as he thought about the best way to go about this.

* * *

Natasha lazed about in her room later that night, tapping her fingers slowly along the desk as she waited for the ink to dry on her original copy. "I swear, if I didn't serve as your knight, who would protect you, Chii-?!" Juli's voice cut into her train of thought, before a newer, deeper one cut him off, sounding dejected, "I would think that would be _me_.." "Arrow-?!" she spun in her seat to face her room, but she stilled, looking down at Juli's perturbed expression, "What about him, Chii? He's almost never here, and neither is Louis.." "I thought.." she murmured, narrowing her eyes as she slid her eyes to the ring on her desk, having taken off to cook earlier and forgotten to put it back on. "Nevermind.."

"Hmm.." Juli slid his gaze from her briefly, her outburst more than just a tad startling, before he changed the subject. "Huh? What's that mark?" Natasha raised an eyebrow at him, before turning to see his line of sight, looking at her calender with surprise, before smiling, "Oh, Subaru's game is on Wednesday." "What?!" Juli gasped, startled, "Don't tell me you're going to cheer for him?!"

"Yep-!" Natasha brought both thumbs up brightly, only to have her exuberance drowned in a Tsunami wave of Juli's displeasure. " _No_ -! No-! No cheering for him in a match-!"

"But Juli~!" Natasha whined, trying to drag herself out of the post-war zone with pout, "I already have everything planned out-! And I'll get to wear _facepaint- FACEPAINT_ , JULI-!"

* * *

Natasha had two coolers at her feet, one filled with After training sports drinks, the other with chilled homemade protein bars. She used hazelnut toppings to give it a chocolaty flavor..

She was on her feet the majority of the game, cheering on the team, though Subaru had yet to play. True to her word, she wore a copy of Subaru's jersey over a long skintight white sleeved shirt, black leggings finished with a pair of hightop sneakers in blue and white. She had her snowy hair pulled into two sporty pigtails, blue ribbons falling and swaying with every movement she made.

Her face was half blue, half white, with alternating color on her lips, eyes, and cheeks, Subaru's number painted in bold across her cheeks, 14 in the alternating colors.

The game was played relatively fair with only a few calls from the refs that made her irritable, but with nine minutes left, and a one point difference, she held on the hope that her presence in the series didn't ruin this moment for Subaru.

She was biting her lip in anxiety as she watched the game, blue and white painted fingernails putting crescent marks in her skin as she fidgeted in her seat. A dash of orange caught her eye, and she turned to see Natsume, still in his suit, eyeing her oddly, as if he were trying to place her.. Well, even if she did have white hair, it was easy for it to be mistaken as a wig. Not to mention she was dressed seriously outrageous for a college fan.. "Natsume," she called over, raising her hand in greeting as he jerked with a start, not expecting her to immediately greet him, before he walked over, his voice raised to be heard, but low enough that the others didn't pay a mind to it. "I didn't know you were here…" he titled his head a little, a slightly wry smile touching his lips as he got into his seat kitty corner and one row back, "Why are you dressed like that..? I could hardly tell it was you.." "This is the first ever college basketball game I've ever been to-!" she was nearly blinding him with her bright, childlike enthusiasm, "No way am I gonna pass up the opportunity to cheer on Subaru for him-! Oh-" she stilled for a moment, giving him a minutes reprieve of the blinding light as she bet to her feet, pulling out a bottle of tea and a package of treats, holding them out to him with a smile, "I brought extra."

"Extra.." he repeated, dubiously, taking the sweets with care as he glanced back to her with a slight smile. "Thank you.. I didn't know you liked basketball.."

"My friend used to coach junior high," she shrugged her shoulders, a pensive look on her face as she snorted, "You wouldn't believe how fast he whipped those little brats into shape with manners." She shook her head to brush off the errant thought, before she gave him another calm smile, "Subaru invited me to come today, so I didn't say no."

"Subaru invited you?" he repeated, once again, his tone incredulous, "Why would he do that?" "Well," she grimaced, trailing off as she looked toward the court, her eyes widening as she leaned forward, the overhead announcer calling out in a neutral voice. " _Meiji University player substitution_." Natasha's eyes lit up, as Natsume looked on in surprise.

 _"Number 7, Yamada, being replaced by number 14, Asahina."_

"Let's go Subaru-!" Natasha called out with a cheer, her hands cupping around her mouth as she snatched the pompoms from her seat, hopping to her feet as she bounced in her spot, "SU-BA-RU-! SU-BA-RU-!" He turned his head toward her before the game started again, and she waved brightly to him from her seat, his eyes widening at the sight of her as she beamed to him. He gave himself a low nod before he turned away, getting into position with a serious, intense aura.

"Come on, Natsume-!" she whined, turning her head to point a pom-pom at the cool-sitting red head, pouting at him, "Cheer with me-!" "Sure," his mouth twitched at the corner as he glanced to her, before turning back to the game, "But I won't be able to compete with your intensity."

"I can fix that."

Her words were the only warning he got before he got a face full of tassel pompom, lifting a hand to wretch it down to his lap before shooting her an unimpressed look, though she was busy calling 'Let's go-!' to the team. His eyes softened at the pure determination in her expression, before he turned back to the game, sending a silent cheer to Subaru as he was finally put into the thick of things. Making a two pointer right off the bat, grinning in triumph as the other team seethed.

Natasha was quick to jump to her feet, shouting her pride with a few well placed fist pumps, before collapsing back into her seat, flashing Natsume a grin, effectively pumped and excited, "Did you see that-?! He was awesome-!"

"I'd heard he lost his form," the red head's eyes were trained on Subaru expressionlessly, "But he looks alright.." The minutes ticked by.. The game wore on..

"Damnit-!" Natasha hissed, gnawing her lip and effectively smearing the blue lipstick on half of her lips across the white portion of the corner of her mouth, "We're so close-!"

It was eleven seconds left, and Natasha scrambled to her feet, vaulting forward as Subaru was passed the rebound, gripping onto the safety rail as others around her stood to see as well. "C'mon, Subaru," she whispered, swallowing the thick lump in her throat as he sprinted across the floor. "C'mon.." And he jumped.

"Let's go, Subaru-!" Natasha vaguely heard Natsume's shout behind her as her eyes stayed locked on his form. Please god… let her not have ruined this..

2… 1… The buzzer hit..

And the ball swished.

The applause was deafening, and Natasha felt like crying, slumping against the bars as she watched him, a seam-splitting smile on her lips as she basked in the glow of his and his team's pride, the sidelines converging onto the court in celebration.

Natsume waited at her side until she peeled herself away to get her things, though he had already shouldered one of her bags, "Let's head out.." "We can wait for him out front, then-!" Natasha grinned, sighing in relief and happiness as she moved to follow him, practically glowing as they made their way outside to a nearby bench.

"Aww man-! Did you see that last shot-?!" She couldn't contain her enthusiasm once they left the building, hopping around on her feet as she tried acting it out, "The ball came off the rebound to number 4, and he shot it to Subaru so fast-! I almost got whiplash-!" She was swinging her arms now, as if catching an imaginary ball, "He turns tail and bolts it-! Gets to the three point rim and BAM-! I swear-! That jump was straight off of NBA-! Did you see how _high_ he went?! He could probably jump over me when I'm stand up _straight_ -!" She paused as she looked up to Natsume, seeing his raised eyebrows and feeling a sweatdrop chilling the back of her head, "Eheh.. Sorry.. I haven't been to any college games, before.." "It's fine," he replied casually, her big golden eyes popping brightly from her earlier adrenaline rush, contrast to the negative mirror facepaint up and down her face, looking much like a child's doll mask. "It was that exciting of a game, after all.." he looked up suddenly, his eyebrows furrowing in surprise as he did so, "It looks like we might be in for some rain." He looked down to her curiously, and she felt her heart still in her chest for a few seconds. "Want a ride? My car is parked nearby."

"I don't know.." Natasha trailed of, unsure as she looked toward the stadium, "I wouldn't want to impose.. Plus there's the snacks.." "Aah," he grunted, and she looked back up with a start, "Don't be shy.. We're siblings, aren't we?" She felt a metaphorical knife sink into her ribs, giving him a firm smile as she pinched her eyes shut, "Oh. Right." A cellphone ringing surprised them both, but since it wasn't a custom tune, Natasha didn't bother checking, watching, correct, as Natsume pulled his phone out. "It's a business call," he mumbled, then gave her a curious look, "Can you find a place to wait for me for a bit?" "Sure thing," she nodded, turning to set the bag she had reclaimed from Natsume on the stone wall beside the one she had in her arm, stretching her arms a bit and rubbing her shoulder.. She might have pulled something from all that cheering.. Yikes..

"Hey-!" Natasha perked up at the sudden call, turning her head toward the stadium as she saw a dark haired figure getting closer, smiling when she saw Subaru running toward her, his signature jacket and sleeves rolled up as he rushed to meet her, practically beaming. But so was she. "I did it-!" He reached for her shoulders, and she grinned, "Subaru, that was so awes-" her face was pressed into his chest a moment later, and her breath caught in her throat, eyes going wide as she felt the heat creep onto her face, and thanking the gods she decided to wear face paint in thick layers. "S-Subaru.. Facepaint.." she warned quietly, feeling one of his hands at the back of her head, the other pressing her shoulders to hug her, gentle, but firm.

"Thank you," he said after a minute, her heart having resumed its beating to full throttle in the absence of words, "I owe it all to you." "P-Pardon?" she asked, strained. "Because you came," he explained calmly, his head tucked down to rest on top of her head, "Because you watched the game.. Because of the bracelet.." "The birthday gift-," she repeated, stunned, before whiplash hit her and she leaned her head back, turning her head in an effort to see his hands, though she was still pressed to close to him to so so. "That's why I was able to do my best.." he murmured into her hair, and she stilled, biting the inside of her lip with a swallow. "Subaru.." she called softly, a hint of anxiety in her tone.. Is it getting hotter out here..?

He pulled back a bit, and she could take a full breath, his hands holding her shoulders softly as she looked up, her golden orbs meeting his intense greyish-brown ones. "So, hey.." he paused for a moment, as if finding the words, while she waited in silence, "Do you.. Have some guy you like..?"

"What?" she lost the anxiety in a flash, and her face became deadpanned.

"I'm serious," he spoke firmly, though she only managed to swallow back a mouthful of saliva. "Tell me.." he pleaded, low, "A guy you like.. I mean.. Is there a guy you're in a relationship, with..?" "No," she deadpanned, blank as she blinked at him, "I'm in a relationship with coffee."

He sighed at that, a soft, blown laughter in his voice as he closed his eyes, "I see." He opened his eyes again, and this time, she was brought to the realization that he had some seriously sexy eyelashes for a dude, and that his face was getting pink and- oh shit..

"Then," he said quietly, and she felt everything else around them disappear into white noise, "I want you to stick by my side, forever. From now _on_. Forever." She blinked slowly at him, trying to process what was going on, as her mouth struggled to make people-friendly words and not gibberish, "Uh-.. uhm.." "I need you," he murmured, and she felt that stab wound from earlier warm up incredibly, as if the opposite end of the knife were hooked to a car battery. _Holy Hell_ …

"Subaru."

Natasha nearly flew a foot in the air in fear, sending a glare to Natsume as she wound her arms around her torso, "Nii-chan-?! You scared me-!" At the same time Subaru had said, "Natsu-nii-! What are you doing here-?!"

"That's what I'd like to know," Natsume brushed off his question with ease, his hands in his pockets as he looked between one, then the other, noting how Natasha was shivering now, rubbing her arms as she mumbled about her brothers needing bell collars and White-day present ideas..

"Why are you here now?" he asked calmly, "What about your teammates? Your team manager? Your coach?" "Natsu-nii," Subaru started, put-off. "Don't lose your head just because you contributed a little," Natsume warned, firm and unrelenting, "This is only the second round." His voice raised a tad as he continued, tone hard and cool, "It's not even as if you've won." Stunned by his behavior, Natasha could only watch him with wide, shocked eyes, her lips pressing together thinly as she stayed out of it. "Get your butt back in there. Save your moronic antics for when you become a real first-rate player. It's too soon for you," Natsume finished his rant with a slight huff, clearly off-put and annoyed about something, though it didn't take much after his searching look to the female to figure that out when she spun on her heel, grabbing the bags from the stone wall and holding them in her hands as she returned silently to Subaru's side, the raven oblivious to her brief departure and return.

"I don't have to take this from the guy who quit the game half-ass," Subaru snapped, and other than the brief drunken argument he'd had with his brothers, Natasha hadn't heard him raise his voice once. "Even if I'd continued," Natsume challenged cooly, his expression unrelenting, "If I were half-ass about it, it would be the same thing."

All of a sudden, as if to put in her own two cents, Mother Nature unleashed a full sheet of rain, before calming it to a steady drizzle, the face paint Natasha wore only dripping at the corners, giving her crying makeup eyes, as she sighed, once, long and loud as she resisted the urge to shake her head. These guys, seriously..? Their stare-down was chilling enough as it was.. And then, Subaru decided to be the adult.

"I'm sick of this," the raven sighed, turning his head to Natasha with something unreadable in his eyes, "Think about what I said earlier.." "Wait-!" Natasha snatched the back of his hoodie before he could go too far, the look of surprise on Natsume's face lost when she'd put both bags into Subaru's hands, folding his fingers around the handles as she gave him a reassuring smile, "Listen, I made these for the team, and since I'm clearly not able to meet them myself, can you take these out to them, for me?" His soft expression of surprise fuelled her grin as she shut her own, the rain a soothing background noise to her ears, "It's some post game sports drink for you, and some homemade protein bars.. There's also oatmeal fruit tarts for anyone allergic to nuts in a separate bag." He gave a light nod, and she salute with two fingers, her smile infectious, "See you at home for a celebratory dinner-!" " _Un_ ," he nodded, turning to walk calmly back to the stadium, his fingers flexing around the travel cases as his lips twitched into a slight smile.

Natasha watched him go with a sigh, lifting a hand to rub the back of her neck, turning to give Natsume a brief, hard look, before she sighed out the rest of her irritation. "Natsume.. That was seriously uncalled for.." "Are you.." his tone caught her attention as she looked back up to him, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion when he paused, then started again, more firm, this time, "Are you going out with Subaru?" Her face went blank for a moment, and she gave him a complete once over, though his hand twitched slightly, an indication that he noticed it, but didn't comment, she put a hand to her face, taking a deep breath in, and her shoulders shaking in an effort not to explode.

"Are you kidding me?!" she snapped, her voice quiet, but severely strained, tears pricking the corner of her eyes as she stepped back, sinking to the stone wall in an effort to sit down, rubbing the heels of her palms into her eyelids and ignoring what was inevitably getting smudged or stained, "You and Subaru go at it like a pair of stray cats and the first thing you ask me is if I'm dating your brother- _our_ brother-! Natsume- do you have any idea what that sounds like?!" He looked startled as she continued to shake, her left hand covering her eyes while her right went down to cradle her stomach, her breath short and shaky as she shook her head, "I don't know whether to laugh or cry right now.. That's a first.."

She sat there for a few more moments as she pulled herself together, sniffing in an effort to have the scent of rain calm her, but as she lifted her head to find Natsume, she felt a heavy, thick fabric drape across her shoulders and fall down her back, two, big, warm hands tugging it over her shoulders until she turned to see him beside her, his expression cool, but his eyes revealing his remorse. He kept a hand on her opposite shoulder as he sat down beside her, letting out a single, deep sigh before he spoke again. "I didn't mean to hurt you.." His low voice was soothing as she relaxed to the deep, calming timbre, "I'm sorry.. Please.." his voice was low with strain, and she tilted her head just an inch to see his face, his eyes glaring into the ground ahead of them similar to her own brooding position earlier, "Forgive me.."

"Yeah, yeah.." she breathed, her tone going back to cool, casual indifference as she looked around them a final time, "Apology accepted, now can we leave _before_ we both get sick..?" He chanced a glance to his left, seeing her with her face raised to the sky in relief, painted lips smiling lightly, the white half of her face he could see from this side, and the deep blue lipstick and panda-like eye paint smeared almost tribally against her cheekbones and jaw, rain sliding down her face and neck relentlessly as he forced himself to remember how to breath..

"Sure.."

Why, dear god.. Did it _have_ to be _her_ …?


	23. Chapter 5 (Final)

Natasha stretched out on her bed around eleven, holding a pillow to her chest as she eyed the ring in her hand, the gold and emerald glinting against her palm as she rolled it to inspect it between her fingers, brow furrowed in confusion as Juli snored softly at her side, her voice low, and tired as she looked it over. "Arrow.. Where are you..?"

There wasn't an answer, so she could assume it only worked when she wore it.. So then..

"What the hell was that voice..?"

 _"Are you not a fan of a male's voice?"_

She tensed in her spot immediately, feeling the dark, soothing presence in her mind cloud over the dark whispers of her 'natural' guide. "Bao..?" she asked quietly, flinching when Juli's ear flicked against her side, before stilling again, his snores hiccuping slightly before he turned over in his sleep, falling back asleep again without fault. Natasha let out the soft breath she was holding, turning her eyes to the ceiling as she gave a small, wry smile. "Alright.. I'm hearing things, then.."

 _"Very self-depraving, aren't you?"_

She carefully sat up from the bed, turning her eyes from one end of the room to the other, focussing her sight on the gloomiest corners, but when there was no movement, no presence, she furrowed her brow, glaring into oblivion as she rolled her eyes. "Where are you, pervert? Isn't it rude to enter a lady's room without her consent?"

 _"I'm not physically in your room.. So that assumption is null.."_

She huffed her breath out in irritation, glaring at the ceiling before she lied back down, folding her arms behind her neck, trying to mind-speak, rather than risk waking Juli. _Why are you here..?_ It was silent again, for a moment, and she felt a sense of annoyance root in her mind, clucking her tongue to dismiss him before she rolled her eyes. "If you don't give me answers, this conversation is over."

 _"My apologies, princess.. I'm on an errand.."_

 _And you're talking to me while you work..?_ She didn't know how to feel about that little thing.. On one hand, he was trying to multitask to accommodate her request.. On the other.. Oh right, he was a conniving demon..

" _Conniving is a bit harsh, don't you think, princess..?" Don't read my thoughts unless I directly send them to you._ She gave a sharp roar as a response, and from the pained grunt she caught after, she could assume he'd either hurt himself or dropped something.. Hopefully both.. " _I take it you received my calling card_?" _You mean that stinging hex you put on my writing hand_? The sarcasm was pretty thick, but the reminder of the painful two days wearing bandages had her seething again. " _It is a summoning seal_ ," he responded smoothly, and she could vaguely hear his sigh, " _It seems you've not had a good impression of me, thus far.. Is there a way we could change that?_ " _Figure that out yourself_ , she hissed back, flicking the ring in the air absently as she listed to his soft groan.

" _And if I beg and plead for forgiveness..?_ " He sounded hopeful.

 _You'd never whole heartedly do so_ , she deadpanned, hearing silence for several long moments, before laughter echoed behind her eyes, loud and unhindered. " _Ah-! I love that tongue of yours_ -!" He calmed after another few moments, his voice low and smooth as old scotch, " _What if I were to pay you a visit.. In person.. And formerly apologized for my actions_.."

 _That would depend on if I found it sincere enough_ , she mused idly, catching the ring between her index finger and thumb idly, before continuing, _I haven't slept for several days, so I'm putting this on.._

" _Wait_ -!" She slipped the ring onto her middle finger before he could finish, pulling the covers up and around her stomach as she lied back, closing her eyes with a deep breath as she breathed in the slowly dwindling vanilla scent of her pillows. "Arrow.." she murmured softly, eyes fluttering shut as sleep tugged at her emotional exhaustion, "Come home.. Soon.. please.."

* * *

 _Bao groaned as he threw his head back, his entire form slouching against the gritty, graffiti plastered brick of the Underground "nightclub". It was a demons' frequent hotspot, but he wasn't there for pleasure..._

 _At least not today..._

 _He idly wondered if the little princess would ever want to visit.. but he brushed the thought away just as quickly._

 _He had work to do._

* * *

 _Arrow felt the warm tingle at his left middle finger and hesitated to lift the cup of wine to his lips. While angels didn't_ need _to eat, that did not mean they couldn't enjoy the simple pleasures.._

 _Something he was trying very hard to derail for a certain Commander.._

 _"Are you_ absolutely sure _that this ward of yours isn't already sided with_ them _..?"_

 _The commander's voice was as rough as the rocky road ice cream he'd been introduced to.._

 _Just a lot less sweet..._

 _"Certain," was Arrow's calm response._

 _The wine left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he was looking forward to raiding Natasha's chocolate supply. That and they had to have a little chat..._

 _"Very well," the Commander nodded, hazel eyes glinted once in the desk lamp before he tossed the scroll unceremoniously to the man across from him, "Just know, that if Hell gains a leg up on us, there will be no end to that war."_

 _"I completely understand," Arrow nodded._

 _And he understood that better than most._

* * *

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 **The _Choices_ are YOURS-!**


	24. Chapter 6: Part 1

With spring vacation over and the start of a new semester, Natasha awoke extra early to pack everyone's lunches, being sure to take extra time to make Futo's since she knew he'd have _something_ to do today.. Can you say Chibi-Futo with a baby donkey~? _HAH_ -! "This is quite possibly my greatest achievement," Natasha sniffed with heartfelt pride, smiling as she dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. She had switched up the rest of the animals all to aquatic life, for some odd reason, except Ukyo, who got a sort of bird-type animal she hasn't thought of a name for, yet..

She finished dressing after wrapping and placing the lunches on the table, making sure to tame her hair back into it's loose bun and securing it with a long, dark purple ribbon. She double checked to make sure her flesh colored tights weren't visible, and grabbed her bag, stretching her arms as she left the room, Juli's food, water, and snack set out respectively, new batteries in the remote, window cracked for easy escape, and a barrage of new manga she left for him to read.

"Morning Yusuke," she called softly as the tired red-head dragged himself out of his bedroom, almost instantly waking up at the sight of the silver haired female locking her door. "Oh-Uh, Morning," he nodded, scratching the back of his neck when she gave a small smile, nodding before she turned to find the stairs. "Don't forget, we have to oversee the fresh meat this morning for the entrance ceremony.." "Ughhhh.." he groaned, listening to her laughter as she disappeared around a corner, his smile showing once she was out of sight..

 _Does she even know.. How beautiful she was when she laughed like that..?_

"TSUBAKI- _BAKA_ -?!"

He hear what sounded like the keys of the piano being smashed down suddenly, and he flinched, grimacing as he heard Natasha start to go off on Tsubaki about scaring her half to death and threatening to tie a cat's collar around his neck, so the bell would tell her when they were- And his thoughts started to stray again.. _Shit_.. He slapped his face quickly, willing the heat to calm as he made his way down the stairs, glaring at a sniveling Tsubaki cradling his head from what appeared to be Azuza's first, the raven lowering the suspected weapon as he apologized to his sister about Tsubaki's lack of understanding on the matter of personal space.

"Breakfast is done-!" Ukyo called from the kitchen, he remainder of the young adults turning to go in, Natasha being the first to sing out, " _Ar~i~ga~to~ U~ky~o~nii~chan~_!"

Ukyo smiled in thanks to her, patting her head as he passed by her, his voice casual as he absently started to eat, "No _sharks_ today, imouto-chan..?" the brothers paused at his question, Wataru being the only one to openly admit their curiosity at Natasha's bright laughter. "Onee-chan? What does Aniki mean about sharks..?" "Secret~" Natasha grinned to him, her smile sweet as she held a finger to her lips. The other, older males eyed Ukyo with subtle glares of confusion and intrigue, but Wataru was once again open with his thoughts. "Wah! I wanna have a secret with Onee-chan, too~!" His pout was too much for the female as she gave in with an audible whine, nodding as she leaned into his ear, the other brothers tensing in surprise as she cupped her hands around his ear and whispered something inaudible for several, long seconds, Wataru's face lighting up in wonder and surprise as she pulled back. "Wha~?! Really~?!" "Yep," Natasha nodded, putting a finger to her lips, "But it's a secret, Wataru, you can't tell anybody.. Not even your Aniki's'.."

"What~?" Tsubaki mimicked Wataru's pout, but her deadpanned expression was unmoving, "Will Imouto share a secret with me~?" "No," Natasha smiled smug as she continued to eat, Wataru humming happily in his seat as he kicked his legs, giggling softly to himself in glee.

"But why~?" "You're not young enough or cute enough," Natasha answered, tonelessly, listening to his dejected whine, "Imouto-chan, why~?" "Didn't you hear me, I just told you?" Natasha feigned confusion, and the table erupted in laughter, the female smiling as she ducked her head low to finish her food, hurrying to her feet after another minute and rushing to clean her dishes. "Yusuke-!" She snapped back there, intensity searing into him from the other side of the wall, "If I finish washing these and you're not done eating I'm leaving without you-!"

"Hey-Hey- I'm coming-!" Yusuke called, his voiced raised in part panic, part annoyance.. Why Just _WHY_ did it have to be _her_.. He gathered his dishes as he stood, the flashback to Futo returning to the table one night covered in curry enough to make him snort in amusement, before he shook away the thought, and hurried to go clean his dishes, "I get that we have to be there early, but do we have to take such an early train?" "Do you wanna be scolded by Kuroma-san?" she asked dubiously, the red-head pausing to shudder before he shook his head sharply from side to side. Kuroma Akira, or Kuroma-san, in Natasha's case, was a third year, and had her heart unintentionally stolen by the young silver haired woman. Kuroma was a model type woman; she was taller, leaner, with a bigger bust, wider hips, and perfect legs and waist, with hair the color of spun golden copper and eyes that glowed misty grey, but she had the softest spot for Natasha after a lunchroom incident that will not be mentioned aloud.. _Ahem_..

"That woman is vicious," he muttered, shuddering as he washed his dishes and she dried, both working in tandem to finish in a mere minute before they were quick to get their shoes and bags. "Aww~!" Natasha sang sweetly, teasing as they shucked on their shoes, "Are you scared she'll steal me away from you, again~?" "That wasn't funny-!" he argued loudly, fuming as she laughed at his distress, "I actually thought she was going to rape you, okay?! She has the worst way of making things sound incredibly inappropriate-!" "You mean," Natasha corrected smoothly, leaning into his personal space as he froze over, watching as she got close to his face, a Cheshire cat smile on her lips, "..that you _take things_ the wrong way..?"

He fumed at her for a second longer before he grabbed her wrist, stalking quickly toward the train station, dragging her laughing ass behind him as he hid his flushed face..

 _It just HAD to be her.._

* * *

"Na-ta-sha-chan~!"

Yusuke flinched at the loud, girlish squeal from the edge of the crowd, stepping aside just as a white, maroon, and golden copper blur flew past him, latching onto a deadpanned Natasha with ease and hugging the shorter female into her larger than life breasts. "I missed~ Youuu~"

"Good morning Kuroma-san," Natasha mumbled into her boobs, completely unaffected while Yusuke fumed. "Oi-!" he snapped, catching the older female's eyes, though they stood nose to nose, maybe a half inch taller on her part, "Do me a favor, and don't strangle my sister-!" "Shut it, Asahina-!" she growled, aura burning hellfire as she metaphorically hissed in the background, clutching the smaller female tighter to her body in a swaying motion, "I don't see you giving my precious little Nata-chan her morning love and affection-!" He spluttered, indignantly, as the taller woman smirked, her tone turning dark as passersby avoided their little clearing like the plague, all the while Natasha was hanging limp in Kuroma Akira's arms, big, blank eyes wandering around for a directory while Akira switched from devil to lolita-angel in a heartbeat, looking down at Natasha with glitter in her eyes and flooding her background, "My little Natasha-koi~ How many times do I have to tell you to call me Aki-chan~?" "At least once more," she stated calmly, patting the woman's shoulder so she could be released, and, once again on two feet, took a second to give her a slight bow, "Good morning." "Good morning~" she chirped back, clapping her hands once in front of her before diving into the works, "Nata-chan and Asahina-baka are on Greeting Duty~ Nata-chan will give the new students a warm, heartfelt smile~ Giving them their schedules~" "And what will I do?" Yusuke asked, point blank while Natasha listened intently, Akira paused her sparkly rendition to her companion to give him a short look, "You hand her the schedules. You're too spastic to greet them properly." "Hey-?!" He snapped.

Natasha sighed, listening as their banter drove on, before she moved to find the table, greeting several other classmates with a slight nod before she sat next to the end of the table, flipping through the names on the schedules quickly so she could partly rely on memory to find them faster, later. _She was so much like Yuuki..._

Yusuke joined her about ten minutes later, but by that time she was halfway done with her set, having smiled and pointed every new face toward the gym for the ceremony. "They all look so innocent.." Natasha sighed serenely, propping her face on her fist while Yusuke lounged against the wall behind her, raising an eyebrow at her next words, "They won't last a month.." "What's that supposed to mean?" he scoffed, watching as she turned her head to give him a wink, "They'll either be tainted or completely adjusted in a month.. No one will be left out of the darkness that is fresh meat season.." He blinked slowly at her dark, thoughtful smile, eyes hazy as she saw something from another time. He cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow when her eyes abruptly focussed to meet his own, his tone light and conversational, "Did.. something happen to you, freshman year..?"

 _Don't tell him._. The whispers huffed, annoyed, as they lounged a chaise, flipping through something that oddly resembled a shoujo manga. _Not worth the risk._ "Nah.." she sighed, running a hand over the back of her neck as she shook her head, "A friend of mine.. Who went to America, went through a really awful freshman year.. I could.." she paused for a moment, finding her words before she turned back to the table, casual and cool, "I could barely recognize her.."

"Working hard, I see."

Natasha snapped her eyes up at the sound of Azuza, bolting to her feet and nearly sending her chair flying as she grinned, "Azu-nii? What's up-!" "A-Azu-nii-?" Yusuke repeated, startled and confused. Natasha mentally cheered, she would have so many more opportunities to tease the hell out of Futo. _HAH-!_

"What's wrong?" he asked curiously, "Do I have something on my face?"

"Mhmm.." Natasha nodded sagely, lifting her hand slowly, before wiping it all over her face in a vague description, "Sorry, Azu-nii.. But it kind of looks permanent.." "Hah-hah.." he chuckled, flashing his teeth as he walked closer to the two, lifting a hand to poke Natasha's nose, much to her annoyance as she scrunched her face up cutely, mouth pulling down in a pout as she lifted a hand to rub her nose, ignoring his light laugh. "What's with the get-up?" Yusuke started, then corrected himself, leaning forward onto the table with his hands as the support, "Or, actually, what are you doing here in the first place?" Natasha gasped dramatically, reeling back as she put a hand to her chest, "Aniki-! You're not re-attending high school, are you?!"

He snorted at her poor attempt at humor, rolling his eyes as he held out a small package of what looked like chocolates, the sweets in her awaiting hands a second later as her eyes sparkled, and he continued, "First off, I thought you might like some.. There were leftovers from the breakfast cart at the studio. Second, I hadn't planned on coming myself.." he had this small, wry smile on his lips as he said it, "but today just had to be the day.. That Masa-nii, Kyo-nii, and Kana-nii all said they were busy.." He turned to look at the front gate, and Natasha held the first morsel of heaven just inches in front of her lips, turning to look with him as her hand hovered, and her eyes narrowed in slight annoyance as he continued, "So I had no choice but to come play the role of guardian.." "Seriously getting sick of the whole cellphone tree responsibility thing," Natasha muttered under her breath as she waited, placing the chocolate on her tongue and licking it once, slowly, her fingers holding it in place as she watched the gate intently.

"Azu-nii," Yusuke sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "You're not making any sense.." "Don't tell me you don't know.." Azuza sounded shocked as he turned to give him a look, Natasha's deadpanned stare her only response as she continued to watch the gate, taking small, tentative licks of the chocolate truffle as she did so.

A taxi door opened just further back, and she heard the first squeals, flinching at the sheer volume of it as a pair of feet slipped out of the yellow eyesore, and a young male stepped out, his bangs falling stylishly around his face and between his eyes as he walked casually past the throngs of female fangirls and stunned males, ignoring the world as his eyes scanned the courtyard, locking first with Natasha's before they turned a shade darker, and he changed direction slightly to meet his siblings. He bowed in greeting politely to his senpai, before giving them a smile. Yusuke looked just about ready to fly off his rocker, though..

"Wh-Wha-.. What are you doing here?" the redhead snapped, sounding downright petrified and confused. "Isn't it obvious?" Natasha bit back a sneer at his fake aura, giving him an equally polite smile in return. She'd play for now, "Look at his uniform.."

"Good morning," Futo greeted politely, Natasha taking a moment to be sure she didn't have his schedule before she relaxed back into her seat, taking slow, leisurely licks of her treat as his eyes found her mouth with a hidden emotion she'd take the guess to call dark amusing intent. "I will be enrolled at Hinode High School, starting today. My name is Asahina Futo." He leaned down in a slight bow, but his eyes were on his sister's as he tilted his head, smiling as they locked eyes, her tongue peeking out to trace her treat as she eyed him with obvious suspicion and amusement. "Nice to meet you, senpai." "Likewise kohai," she responded cooly, pointing her finger at the second year beside her, "Toriki-kun, please get him his schedule.." " _H-Hai_ -! Hinata-senpai-!" a more timid boy bowed to the third year quickly before rushing to fulfil her request, Natasha returning to her treat calmly as she gave Futo a small, gloating look, though he met it lightning bolt for bolt. Oh, this was going to be an interesting year..

* * *

"I swear, what the hell was he thinking?" Yusuke complained, groaning as he walked beside Natasha around the school for patrol, "It's annoying enough to be related to a pop star, but now he's going to be with me at school, too?" "Ah, don't worry about it," Natasha chuckled, his baited breath lost on her as she continued, "Just because he's our underclassman now, doesn't mean he can give you orders, in fact, it's the other way around.. He's obligated to show you respect, here.."

"Y-.. You sure are laid back about this.." he mumbled, embarrassed, as he looked back ahead, away from her secretive, enticing smile. After a moment, he perked up again, his tone turning light, "Oh, that reminds me.. I heard you went to go see Suba-nii's game the other day? How'd that go?"

They stopped for a moment in the middle of the path, but it was abandoned save for them, so there was no real hurry. "Huh?"

"It's just that.." he sounded concerned as he continued, his brow furrowing slightly, "since that day, you and Suba-nii.. It's been a little weird between you two.." She had a brief flashback to his confession, and her heart stuttered out an extra beat before she was brought back by Yusuke's concerned tone, "What's wrong?" "Mmm," she sniffed, shaking her head as she looked sadly to the ground, "I think I scared him with my intensity.."

"W-What?" Yusuke stuttered. Natasha explained, in a hopeless voice, "I was dressed to the nines in facepaint and pompoms cheering him on.. He won the game, but I think it was a little too much for it.."

Not really knowing how to answer to that, he could only watch as she sighed, fixing her skirt ruffles before tossing him a smile, "Anyway, I better check by the auditorium, you know how the delinquents like to loiter there, think you can spy out around the east gate one more time before we call it quits?" "S-.. Sure.." he trialed off, his words lost as she had already started to run in the direction they had just come from, turning himself around after she'd disappeared behind a building and was out of sight, sighing as he turned to finish the job.

* * *

Natasha heaved a sigh of relief as she rounded the brick building, pausing to catch her breath before leaning back with a huff, eyes fluttering closed. A soft sound, barely audible, cut through the sounds of nature around her, and she looked up in surprise, her eyes widening as she looked down the path of sakura trees with slight apprehension.

" _Ngh_.."

She slowly made her way down the path, eyes narrowed a she looked for the owner of the sound, until she saw a pair of black clad legs, and a tan sweater. She stopped just a few feet away from the tree, where a boy sat with his back to her, groaning softly. She rounded the tree at last and looked on in surprise to see Futo lounging heavily against the tree, one arm lied out beside him like a dead weight, the other lying over his stomach as he heaved a low, irregular breath.

"F.. Futo.?" she stuttered, smacking her face as she tried to figure out what exactly happened in this episode.. And, finding no primal knowledge, resorted to panic. "Shitshitshitshithsithsithsit." She got to her knees beside him quickly, lifting a hand to brush the bangs from his forehead, the back of her hand hot against the skin there, though she wasn't surprised, her hands were always abnormally hot. She sucked in a deep, sharp breath, before she let it out, looking around her briefly before leaning closer, brushing away his bangs as she steeled her nerves, "So help me God, if he wakes up.." She glanced down at his partly unbuttoned shirt, frowning at the clear vulnerability displayed so openly as she bit back her hesitant disgust. _Just get the temperature and get out.. Simple.._

"N-No.. sis.." he murmured, his eyes still closed as she tensed drastically, blood freezing in her veins as she swallowed, praying to god he didn't open his eyes. "N-No.. If you.. Do that.. I won't be able to.. Control myself.." he gave another, whiny moan, and she stilled completely above him, her eye twitching in the restrain it took not to smack him to the world of the living, her hand still raised and hovering near his forehead, close enough to get a good read on the temperature should she brush her lips to his forehead.. But.. seeing as _this_ is what he was playing at.. Well.. blackmail.. Anyone..?

"Sis.." he called weakly, and as tempted as she was to stuff a shoe down his throat, she tilted her head a little, pulling back just a few inches so she could enjoy him making a fool of himself for just a bit longer. "No, Sis.." _Okay, **little** too far_..

"Futo-" she called firmly, a hand moving to reach for his shirt collar, but it was caught, and she felt her face blank in surprise, looking up from her captured appendage to see his dark eyes and a smug smile, "Ghk-?!" "Oh?" he purred, his posture straightening ever so slightly, as he looked her in the eye, eye level even though she was on her knees, and he was nearly slumped to the ground.. GOD she hated her height.. "How was my acting?"

"Why aren't you at the entrance ceremony, brat?" she deadpanned, her eyes narrowing in annoyance as she muttered under her breath, "And you didn't sound the least bit aroused, you failed that little stunt first hand.." "It was boring, so I left," he shrugged it off like a breeze, his eyes sharpening at the soft comment, but pretending not to hear, "But.. I never thought I'd get to run into you.." and as if he knew exactly what button he was pushing, she flinched, his tone turning mocking yet sickly sweet, "Say, did you know? I've grown taller." She seethed in silence for a moment, and he slid to his feet, her wrist still captured as he spoke, "So you see.. Now I can.." He lifted her into the air in a half second, her chest crashing against his as he held her captive with his arms and hands, "..look down at you from a higher vantage point."

"Why you little-" she hissed, losing her breath in one fell sweep as she was turned around and pressed into the tree, her arms coming up as his hands caged her in, his head leaning down ever so slightly as he forced her to keep eye contact, though she tried to turn her face away in case he got any ideas, his smile was small, and his voice low, "If you want to run, now's your chance.."

"I'd hardly call that a fair chance," she muttered, sending him a sharp look as she flexed her fingers for emphasis, one of his legs between the both of hers and locking her to the tree. "Really?" he sighed, amusement in his eyes as he pressed even closer to her, despite her sharp, annoyed intake of breath, "You're not going to run..? Not even try..?" His hand found the side of her face gently, fingers tracing the soft cotton candy strands of hair as he forced her face to turn attention fully to him, "Then.." he murmured, "I'm going to have my way with you." "Don't-" she rasped, but he was already getting closer, her eyes closing reflexively as she pressed her back further into the tree, as if it would swallow her whole and relieve her of the agony. It was silent, for two counts, before she felt a soft sigh against her lips, cracking open a single eyes just so, so that she could watch Futo pull back, confusion compelling her to face him of her own accord, eyebrows furrowed in surprise and suspicion, but her heart hammered, then froze, at his heated, but.. Strangely.. Calm look..

"I want you to look forward to this," he stated quietly, their eyes locked as he pulled his leg back, releasing her, though she was frozen in place. "I'm going to make life at high school very exciting for you from now on," he promised, his voice low, "Now then.. I'd better be getting back.." His hand was in her hair a second layer in a smooth pat as he stood back straight, and turned to leave, his free hand in his pocket, and his outward stance giving no indication of his previous actions, "See you later, _Imouto-chan_.." And the fucker _walked away_.. Didn't even let her chew him out for _once again_ dissing her height..

* * *

 **100K PEOPLE-! CAN I GET A BOO-YAH-?!**

 **In other news...**

 **I'm still accepting Fanart-!**

 **Question:**

 ** _Should I_ make it a contest to see who could make a cover art to display?**

 **Prize ideas: (Emphasis on IDEAS)**

 **Poster of Natasha, Arrow and Bao with (Maybe) her inner guardian?**

 **Chance to pick the next book setting from offered list?**

 **Sneak peaks on future books?**


	25. Chapter 6: part 2

Dinner was being made by Ukyo, who had assured her that he could handle the rest of it.. Lately he's been kicking her out of the kitchen more often, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that.. Rather than brood over it however, she was in the living room with the other boys, Azuza, Masaomi, Kaname, herself, Hikaru, and Wataru respectively along the couch at comfortable distances. The topic of the hour was, of course, the idol, though she was too occupied in flipping through the binder of texture samples that she'd been sent from the publishing industry.

"It's not a laughing matter-!" Yusuke berated the male sibling's laughter at his expense, "You have no idea what a shock that was-!" "Was it seriously that surprising?" Natasha asked after they'd calmed some, "I mean he _does_ like to rile you up.. I'm actually not that surprised.."

"Futo must have kept it a secret on purpose," Hikaru lounged delicately against the back of the sofa, "Being his usual charming self." "Sorry," Azuza contributed after a moment of reverie, "It didn't occur to me that you two wouldn't know.." "Nah, it's fine," Natasha waved him off absently, eyes trained on the pages in front of her as she bit her bottom lip, "It's not that big of deal, anyway, since he'll be at work more often than not.." At the brief pause, she added, "I'll make notes if I have to," Natasha spoke monotonously, "But the second I get bombarded with fangirls the offer is off the table.."

"Hm?" Kaname hummed, looking to his right to see Masaomi looking through a light lavender camera, "What's that Masa-nii?" "Oh," he smiled, brightly, holding out the camera for him to see, "Photo's from the entrance ceremony that she took.." Kaname took it in his hand to inspect it, his tone turning pleasantly surprised, "Oh? That's a nice shot.." "Toyed around with the idea of a freelance photographer," Natasha waved it off absentmindedly, eyes stuck on two different samples with something akin to hopeless irritation, "Didn't realize the drawbacks until after I'd taken the seminar.. Oh well.." He smiled at her passive response, taking the chance to scoot closer to her, leaning in so she was forced to turn and look up, "Imouto-chan.. Make me the subject of your photos sometime.." His hand was at her ear a moment later, shielding his words from the other and she stilled in surprise. "If it's just you and me.. I wouldn't mind going the extra mile for you.."

"Suit, tie, dress pants.." she raised an eyebrow at his curious, surprised look a second later, "Cosplay, candid and surprise shots?" The last one brought an evil smile to her face as she planned the possibilities, his less than innocent innuendo soaring over her head once more.

Juli's immediate hiss had him leaning back in surprise, as if he'd just noticed the fluffy ball of decoration adorning her left shoulder.

"I wanna see the photos Onee-chan took, too-!" Wataru cheered, leaning forward closer in an attempt to see, Kaname held it out of his reach however, and the child slyly plopped himself between the two, whining in displeasure as he huffed, "Come on-! Come on-! Photographs-! Photographs-!"

"Okay, okay, here," Kaname conceded, holding it out to him carefully, "Just don't break it."

"Yay-!" Wataru cheered, on his feet in an instant, with Juli suddenly materializing in his arms, "I'm gonna go look at them with Juli-!" Juli trilled in panic as he disappeared into the distance, Natasha giving the door he left through a long, final look before she resigned herself to be scolded later, but she needed to get this done..

"I have to say," Masaomi spoke after a moment, "only a girl would be so thoughtful. Without Mom around, it doesn't occur to anyone to take pictures of a siblings entrance ceremony." "I always have the camera on hand," Natasha stated smoothly, though she was a bit preoccupied, she lifted her eyes to him with a slight smile, "I was thinking of getting everyone a hard copy, actually, with the wedding and cherry blossom ones, too." "Oh," he smiled pleasantly, moving to get to his feet, "Then in that case, shall we put them up in this room?" "Would that be okay?" Natasha asked suddenly, a furrow lightly grazing her brow. "Of course," Masaomi nodded, "We should have a couple of Mom's picture frames, so how about I go look for them?" "Need help?" she smiled, closing the book with a snap and setting it on the table as she moved to follow him to the cabinet beside the television. Hikaru eyed the book she had set down with a raised eyebrow, reaching over to grab it once her back was fully turned, blinking owlishly at the logo of a rather mediocre publishing house on the face as he opened it, looking over the less than satisfactory print options and cover options..

"Here they are," Masomi grinned slightly as he handed them to her, before leaning back in to pull out an armful of light green books, "I also found some other great things.." "Jackpot," Natasha grinned, eyes lighting up at the sight of the word 'Memory' on the spine.

* * *

"I'm home.. Oh, what's going on, you look like you're having fun.." a voice called above, startling the female to look up from her picture inspection with a smile, "Yo, Tsubaki-! Welcome home-!" She went back to the pictures with a gusto as he started down the stairs to join them, "Check it out-! Masaomi-nii found your photo albums-!"

"Oh?" Tsubaki smiled, sitting beside Azuza on the couch as she flipped through the pages, before stopping abruptly, eyes wide, "Isn't this.. Masaomi and Yusuke..?" "That's right," Masaomi nodded. "H-Hey-!" Yusuke sat up from his slouch quickly, his blush intensifying by at least three counts, "Don't look at that stuff-!"

"Aww~!" Natasha squealed, picking up the album for a better look, "Yusuke~! Look how cute you were as a baby~!" "Seriously, stop~!" he groaned, tugging at his hair with his fingers while she giggled.

"What about me? What about me?" Wataru cheered, leaning over her shoulder while she flipped through a more recent, unfinished one, "I think you're in this one.."

"What?" he pouted, his tone disappointed, "There aren't that many photos.." "Because you haven't been alive that long," Hikaru teased cooly, Wataru's answering pout disappearing as Natasha wound her arms around him tightly, burying her face into his hair with a giggle, "Don't worry, Taru-chan.. I'll take a lot more pictures of you if you want-!" "Yay-!" he cheered, turning in her arms so he could bury his face tightly into her chest, "Onee-chan's the best-!" Natasha pet his head a little more before grabbing another album, pausing as another photo fluttered from between the pages and onto the table, "Huh?" She reached for the blurred out picture with surprise, her eyes tracing the photo carefully, "Whose is this one..?"

"Is it Tsuba-bro?" Yusuke asked, confused, and Natasha voiced her confusion with a startled, "Huh? How is that Tsubaki? His hair is white-!" Yusuke blinked slowly at her, while the others looked to her in wide-eyed silence. Natasha blinked slowly at them, glancing away briefly, before meeting their eyes again, "What?"

"Tsubaki's natural color is black.." Yusuke stated slowly, choking a little as he narrowed his eyes, "I.. never got around to asking, but…" he hesitated to speak, but she waited patiently as he cleared his throat, "I mean.. What's your natural hair color..?"

Natasha blinked at him slowly, and there seemed to be a thick tension clouding the room in her silence, before she took a deep breath in, and sighed, tilting her head to him as she stood, holding up a finger up for patience as she went to find her bag. "Give me a minute.."

* * *

"What the..?" the boys were crowded around a small, wallet-sized flip book, that held only about six photos, each one with a tiny, white haired little girl with twin pigtails or a frizzy white hurricane of cotton candy on top of her head, always smiling at the camera or at something else her attention was divided to. "Your hair is really white?"

"Yeah." she sniffed slightly, bored by the topic, before she reached for the other photos, "Those are the only ones I have.. But I can't remember any of it.." She stared solemnly down at the blurred photo of Azuza with a slight smile, curled up on the couch as she traced the figure, "I'm.. kind of jealous.." She lifted the photo back a little, taking it in with fresh eyes as she looked over the details, trying to imagine the day it was taken, "It must be nice.. To be able to have so many happy memories recorded and put together.."

"Do you want that photo?"

There was instant silence as the boys stopped gushing over the tiny booklet, heads snapping to Azuza in surprise as he met Natasha's startled eyes. "Oh," he jerked a little in embarrassment, smiling a little, "That's not what I meant, right? Sorry.." he bowed his head a little, but she was looking back at the photo with an unreadable emotion, "That was weird of me." "Can I..?" she asked softly, and it seemed a second vacuum had come to steal any remaining breath from the bystanding males, "Can I keep it..? I mean.. It is your photo.." He looked shocked, to say the least, before his face broke out in a warm smile, "Of course, if you want that thing."

Natasha smiled warmly as Tsubaki attached himself to Azuza's side, an arm around his shoulder as he grinned, "Hey, what's this..? Is this you trying to steal a march?" "What does that mean..?" Natasha honestly wondered aloud, glancing own to the photo, a smile suddenly breaking out across her lips, ignorant to Tsubaki's teasing as she ran her thumb along the glossy print.

Natasha returned to her room, making sure to give Juli a few extra walnuts for his patience with Wataru, having gotten scolded for about fifteen minutes before he finally gave up, resting on her bed while she flipped through the small pictures of her as a toddler.. The ones her "nanny" had taken before she was discharged...

"Don't stay up too late," Juli called, exhausted, while she merely nodded, "I wont."

She spent the next hour or so going over her manga manuscript for imperfections before she slipped it into the manilla folder, licking the seal closed with the order form and manuscript tucked inside safely. She set it aside for a minute, knowing that she'd turn it into the post office tomorrow as she yawned, checking to see Juli was completely knocked out as she nodded to herself, feeling the clothes shift against her skin before her uniform materialized in clean, folded piles at the foot of her bed, in their place being purple silk pajama pants and long sleeve shirt.

She fell asleep to thoughts of slim hands on a piano and feather hats..

* * *

Natasha yawned as she neared the Sunrise Residence, clicking through her texted conversation with Kuroma-san about the school festival coming up in an undetermined amount of time. She swore to god, if she wound up with cat ears she was walking out..

"What are you doing here?"

Subaru's voice cut through her thoughts before she rounded the gate, pausing at the edge of it as her curiosity won out over polite indifference.

"Even I have things that I need to come home for. And I had a delivery to make, too."

It was Natsume this time, and her ears perked up, peeking her head just around the wall of stone like a ninja as she glanced to the duo currently having a staredown on the porch.

"How have things been since then?" Natsume asked politely, but Subaru's indifference shut him down pretty quick. "That's none of your business."

Natasha felt her heart beat faster as she heard Natsume sigh, his tone turning honestly remorseful and apologetic, her face flushing as she wondered what the hell brought on the memory of him apologizing to her.. And why the hell it felt like a _good_ memory..?!

"I understand that you're unhappy with me because of the past. There's nothing I can say about that," he sounded so firm and honest she wanted to blush, why- _oh why_ \- did she have to have a thing for voices-?! _This is like torture-_! "But this is _your_ problem.. If you're planning on pursuing basketball seriously, focus your full attention on it. Don't get distracted by unnecessary things." Natasha felt a little off at that part, but brushed it away, holding her breath as if she would be able to hear them better, Subaru's voice much sharper and finished with Natsume, "Unnecessary things..? What would you know?" He huffed, irritated, "And besides, why should I have to take this from you?!" His tone turned much more defensive, now, and she was tempted to peek again, but held herself in check, barely, "Maybe it's not really me you're thinking about, but _her_ -!" Natasha flinched at the intensity, but stayed absolutely silent.

She heard Natsume's conflicted grunt, silence stretching for a few seconds before he sighed, and she inhaled sharply, retracing her steps back a few feet as his footsteps neared, her eyes lighting up in greeting and embarrassment as Natsume rounded the corner, looking shocked, to say the least, as the high schooler hugged her big black jacket around her tightly. "You- uhh.."

"Hey.." she laughed awkwardly, lifting a hand to rub the back of her neck, "Sorry that I overheard.. I just.." she slid her eyes to the ground awkwardly, closing the golden orbs in guilt, "I.. I didn't really want to get hit with crossfire, actually.. Sorry about that.."

"I'm glad I got to see you," he admit after a moment, and she looked up in surprise at his light, relaxed voice, her cheeks pink in embarrassment but eyes lit up with curiosity as he continued, "I was about to go home without giving you this.." He held out a white and orange envelope, and Natasha took it with wide eyes, raising an eyebrow in confusion, "Personal delivery? You sure you're not a gopher, pumpkin?" she asked casually, his startled look to her teasing melting into a warmer smile, "Hmm.. I wonder.." He hesitated, as if finding words, and her patience gave him the confidence to continue, "Listen, about what Subaru said.. Don't let it bother you. He was just upset." "Don't worry about it," Natasha smiled, nodding her head with a sigh, "I used to be the same way, after all.. Took me eight years to get over it, too.. So I can understand where he's coming from."

"You know.." he murmured, watching as her gentle smile infected his own lips, pulling them lightly at the corners as she looked up to meet his eyes with pure an unadulterated honesty, "You're really good-natured to smile, even at a time like this.." "Life's too short to be a worry wart," she shrugged, giving him a grin as she giggled, "I prefer seeing things with a positive light.. That way I have more good memories than bad.. Something I took to learning after the eight years of Tsundere.." He laughed openly at that, loud and unrestrained as he put a hand to his face, much to her pleasant surprise as she put a hand to her hip, waiting until he calmed so he could give her a smile, "I need to go.. But, if you need anything," he met her eyes with a serious gleam in them, and she gave a nod as he continued, "You have my number.. Use it." "Yes, sir," she smiled, his blinking eyes shutting briefly as he nodded his dismissal, before turning to go, "I'll see you around." "Bye pumpkin~!" she sang loudly, hearing his surprised scoff as she burst out laughing, moving to go inside before he could reprimand her about saying it so loudly. As she got inside, she smiled, wiping the slight tears in her eyes as she leaned against the door jam.

"Welcome home," a voice called, and Natasha looked up to see Iori in the breezeway, his comfy clothes on and his hair ruffled just so it looked naturally stylish. "Oh, hey Iori," she sighed, leaning against the wall as she waited for the elevator, she felt too lazy for the stairs right now..

"What are you sighing about?" he asked curiously, her suddenly startled expression causing him to smile, though she was quick to try changing the subject, much to his suspicion. "Were you out in the backyard?" she asked curiously, and he nodded slightly, his tone firm. "Yes, I was watering flowers.. But nevermind that." her expression flinched in guilt, so he relaxed the firmness a bit, "Did something happen?" "Well.." Natasha started slowly, the elevator opening behind her, but she paid it no mind, "It's just.. Natsume and Subaru were.. Arguing I guess..?" "Something happened between those two?" he guessed calmly, and at her pensive silence, he sighed, giving her a gentle smile, "Don't worry, they're brothers. They're bound to get over it at some point.."

Natasha let out another, heavy sigh, before she glanced away, "Iori.. I just don't know.." She heard footsteps, and felt a hand on her shoulder, looking up to see Iori giving her a warm smile, his expression sweet and caring. "Hey.." she met his eyes carefully, and nearly lost her breath at his honest concern, "Smile, would you..?" she felt heat creeping up her neck, radiating heavily from the spot where he was comforting with his hand, "I'll get you more gorgeous flowers sometime, alright?" Natasha smiled, nodding her head firmly as she agreed, "Alright."

Natasha excused herself to her room before the elevator left, waving once before the doors closed, and she was left ot her thoughts. Depositing her onto her floor, she trudged the rest of the way to her room, intent of starting the next issue of her manga manuscript while she waited for the make-or-break call from the agency.

She was startled from her thoughts for the countless time that day as she reached her door, this time by Azuza, who held a package in the crook of his arm, waving as he gave her a warm smile. "Welcome back," he greeted, her answering smile tired, but happy, "Good to be back."

"Do you have a second?" he asked as she pulled out her keys from her skirt pocket, her confused expression only lasting a moment before she nodded, "Sure thing, what's up?"

"Well, it's not that important.." he started casually, holding out the package to her with a slight smile, continuing as she took it into her own hands and started to open it. "I just came to give this to you.. You said the other day that you didn't have a photo album, so if you'd like, I hope you accept it." Natasha blinked slowly at the cover of the book, taking a deep breath in before she let it out slowly, pressing the book back into the paper as she looked up into his eyes, "Azuza.."

"This is my way of thanking you," he nodded slightly to her, her hands tight around the package as she looked confused. "For what?" she muttered, completely lost. He put a hand to his chin lightly, embarrassment peeking in his tone, "That anime project is starting to get going in earnest.." He lowered his hand to look her in the eyes, a deep, heartfelt emotion in them as he continued, "I caused you anxiety in a lot of ways, so I wanted to thank you, properly." "Azuza, seriously," she murmured, feeling the first sting of tears in her eyes as she forced herself to keep a stony face, hard smile on her lips as she struggled not to cry, "You didn't do anything wrong.. You're probably the most stressed out between the two of us.."

"No," he murmured, softly, and she bit her tongue at his sullen look, "without you, I wouldn't have been able to do that role.. I think I would have ended up deeply hurting Tsubaki." He turned to face her straight on, his head bowed slightly in thanks, "It's because of you that I was able to change. Thank you." "Please.." Natasha tilted her head down, biting the inner lining of her lip, "I just.."

His sudden apprehension was clear on his face, while he wondered if she would push away the praise, again. All of his worries were dashed, however, when her arms wound around his waist, and her head knocked into his chest, embracing him tightly as she kept her eyes down. His arms went behind her back out of reflex, and he couldn't help but smile as he heard her quiet, mumbled, "Thank you.." she whispered, eyes closing tightly as she held the tears at bay, "I really appreciate this album.. And having brothers that care for me.."

She pulled back with a deep breath, flicking her bangs to the side as she composed herself and gave him a smile, his surprise still on his face, though now he just seemed pleased, "Come to think of it.. I feel as if this is the first time I've talked to you like this.." He chuckled a little and she couldn't help but match it, "I've always got that rowdy one with me, after all.." He reached his hand back up to rub the back of his neck, looking away in embarrassment, "We've been living together for quite a long time, already, too.." He laughed a little, "What have I been doing, right?"

"Hey," Natasha called softly, and he looked over slightly at her soft look, slowly lowering his hand at her gentle wink, "It doesn't feel like is been so long.. Time flies when it's fun, right? So, that means it's been good. So-" she stood up straighter as she smiled, bringing up two finger to her forehead in a mock salute as she tilted her head, "-In conclusion, I appreciate the gift. You are a cool brother, and I wish you the best with your work-" her tone turned briefly annoyed as she looked at him, and he struggled to repress a smile, "But so help me god, if you overwork yourself and get sick, I'm going to be playing doctor on you to the point of suffocation.."

"Noted.." he smiled, nodding at her as she sighed, relaxing into the wall on her shoulder. "I should.. Get going," he muttered after a minute, giving her a smile as several white strands fell into her eyes, turning his head ignore it as he cleared his throat silently, "Good night." "Night, Azuza," she smiled, catching his attention before he could leave as she sent him a warm, gentle smile, "Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams," he wished back, turning to go back toward the hall to his room. Natasha stopped briefly in her room to get the things she needed, focusing on the supplies for a scrapbook. She grabbed stickers, construction paper, paints, glue, decoupage and even soft texture prints. Inside the package Azuza had given her were the copies of a large number of the photographs of the brothers, as well as copies of the picnic, the wedding, and Subaru's, Ukyo's, Wataru's, and her birthday, as well as the triplets birthday and Louis' birthday as well..


	26. Chapter 6 (Final)

She had all of her supplies laid out on the table in the dining room, a plate of brownies sitting nearby as she alternated between nibbling on chocolate and setting up page designs.

"So this goes there.." she mumbled idly, smoothing out Azuza's blurred picture over a barrage of stars and pentagons, glitter glue outlining them thinly so it would shut flat, she paused to reach out for a brownie, having to prod her fingers around the plate for a moment before she found one, bringing it back to her lips with a soft humming sound, smiling in joy as she went over other options for that page's pictures. Maybe a pick of the triplets together, followed by a couple of Subaru and Natsume..?

"I didn't know you were up, still," a voice called, and she looked up in surprise as a brownie was plucked off the plate, her jaw hanging open as she watched him munch on it innocently, her mouth during down in a pout, "Oi~! Get your own~"

"Mind if I join you?" he asked instead, holding up a pea green copy of a script with a smile. Natasha sighed, glancing at her dwindling plate of sweets, before she stood, "Sure- but I want more sweets.." She went into the kitchen for a few moments, putting a good ten more brownies on the plate before returning the fresh-keeping plastic over the decorative display lazy suzan on the counter, still stacked high with the triple chocolate delicacies. She returned to the dining room with a sigh, eyes falling on Tsubaki as he looked over her work so far. She set the plate down near his wrist as she gripped the back of her chair, his voice stopping her as she looked up in surprise.

"You're treating that thing with an awful lot of care," he looked on the verge of mirthless laughter, but her confusion was plain to see, "Why wouldn't I?"

"It's almost as if it's a picture of your boyfriend.." He had this sullen smile on his face as he said it, and it was not a look she liked."Funny, last I checked I was single," Natasha laughed at him openly, her shoulders shaking as she tidied up the piles, reaching for a brownie and bringing it to her face, but his intense eyes had her pausing, the treat just an inch from her lips. "S-Seriously," she gave a quick, awkward giggle, "Tsubaki, it's a family picture, of course I'm going to be careful.."

"Is that really all?" he asked, his voice lower as he met her eyes in the dim light of the lone lamp, "Can I trust you?" "Okay, ouch," she feigned a sharp flinch, lifting a hand dramatically to her chest, "Tsubaki-" "I need you-!" he cut her off quickly, sharp and insistent, her blood freezing in her veins as she looked at him, his entire posture and tone radiating frustration and grief as he stepped forward, "It's true that I was a bad person.. I was selfish and I hurt you.." His hands reached up to grasp her shoulders, and her brownie fell to the floor, bouncing off of her shoe and falling somewhere beneath the table as she met his insistent eyes, his tone pleading as their faces were mere inches apart, "I apologize. For that kiss, too." It was silent for one, then two counts, as Natasha willed the frozen blood in her veins to operate, before he took a step back with a firm smile, his tone back to its usual aloof, "Just kidding~!" he looked just about ready to laugh at her deadpanned expression, "Those were lines from the script." "Thank god.." she sighed, lifting a hand to her hair as she pulled the white strands out of their confines, letting the wisps swing back around her ears and framing her face, some off them even falling back to brush delicately against her collarbone, "You're seriously amazing at that.. You could probably even be a stage actor, if you wanted.."

"Stupid storyline, huh..?" he asked quietly, she lifted her arms to re-do her hair, but she felt arms wrapping around her in the next second, her hands wrapping themselves behind his shoulders out of reflex as she felt herself get slightly put off balance, her eyes going wide as she looked up into Tsubaki's intense violet-grey eyes. He tugged her closer then, and she got a face-full of jacket, holding her breath in silence as she felt his breath at her ear, his voice low. "I won't apologize.." His hands curled into the fabric of her sweatshirt, breathing in her sweet scent of vanilla and chocolate as he continued. "Because what I did wasn't in the spur of the moment or on a whim.." He pulled back just enough to to let her breath, brushing his thumbs over her upper arms before he cupped her face in his right hand, her stunned, bright golden eyes watching him intently, "I'm serious," he assured her confused, doubtful eyes, "I'll prove it to you."

Natasha felt her heart struggle to give an extra beat as he sealed her lips with his own, caressing them gently, his eyes closed almost in pain as she felt her own flutter shut. _Think of something else.. Don't get carried away-.. Shit, damn, he's a good kisser.. CAKE-!? BROWNIES-!? FUDGE-?! ICE CREAM-!_

She pulled back sharply to breath, her face flushing immediately as she took a single, staggering step back out of his arms, the scent of sweet cologne and mint assaulting her senses as she watched him advance once more, stepping just close enough until she was pressed against the seat of the couch, the balance against the back of her knees sending her falling onto the comfortable red furniture back-first with an audible 'oof'. Tsubaki caged her in as she stilled, her fingers digging into the fabric of the back of his blazer with mixed emotion as Tsubaki hovered above her, her heart racing in her chest while his eyes held hers firmly, without any waver or doubt.

"I love you."

 _Fudge.._

"I'm _in love_ with you."

 _TRIPLE CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIE AND A SIDE OF CARAMEL TURTLE TRACKS-!_

His hand lifted to brush the bangs from her eyes, gliding them to the side of her face and petting them there before he cupped her face in his hand, his expression so utterly honest and darkly intent that she could only watch in stunned silence. "I'm never.." he whispered softly, his eyes burning into hers with a passion just barely beneath the surface, threatening to explode and blind both him and her, "..never letting anyone else have you."

His lips descended on hers a final time, and Natasha twisted her fingers sharply into the fabric of his jacket, torn between throwing him off with a drop kick, or pulling him closer.. The second opinion, after a bit of hindsight, would prove terrible, so she was lucky when the pressure on her mouth was suddenly gone, and she lifted herself sharply from the couch to see Azuza releasing Tsubaki's arm, the two brothers sharing a single, sharp look before Tsubaki cut the silence. "Azuza."

"You asked me to do a read-through on the script with you," Azuza spoke firmly, looking ready to snap at some point and punch him like he seemed prone to doing at the event of his brother's reckless foolishness, "or did you forget..?"

"And what about you?" Tsubaki asked, his voice heated, "Did _you_ forget? I told you, didn't I?" He turned to face Azuza directly, and Natasha swallowed thickly, lifting a hand to cover her mouth and chin as she watched, silent, "That I wouldn't give her up, not even for you-!" "Yeah," Azuza glanced to Natasha slightly, his expression cool, "You told me." Natasha shivered under his gaze, keeping her free hand curled into the fabric of her sweatpants tightly. "Then you're doing this knowingly-!" Tsubaki snapped, clearly fed up with the behavior.

"That's right, I'm doing this knowingly," Azuza stated, point blank and clear, once again meeting Tsubaki's eyes, then, after a few moments, "Go back to your room, Tsubaki.. Let's end things here, for tonight." Tsubaki was silent, as if judging the atmosphere, before he turned his head away, "Fine. Forget about it."

"Ts-Tsubaki-!" Natasha called out, flinching at the reflexive and digging her nails into her palm in self reprimand. Tsubaki clenched the fist tightly in his fist, and she swallowed, watching as he turned his head to her, his face carefully blank. "Good night."

He left without another word, disappearing behind the wall and his footsteps fading into the stairwell and hallway. Azuza turned to her when he'd been gone from sight, his expression gentle as he furrowed his eyebrows in concern, "Are you okay?" "I'm fine," she sighed, lifting a slightly trembling hand to her forehead, the voices behind her conscious oddly silent throughout the whole ordeal. She lifted her eyes to Azuza after a moment, but he turned his face sharply away, his posture much more agitated than it was before. "Azuza?" she called quietly, his slight flinch hidden by his messy bangs.

"You'd better go back to your room," he tilted his head toward her slightly, and she was silent as he continued, "I'm in no position to yell at Tsubaki." "Pardon?" she mumbled, heat creeping up her neck as he turned his back to her slightly, his head down, silence thick between them.

"I'm… the same as him."

* * *

 _"This is pathetic," Bao groaned, looking over the thin remains of what was once a copy of an angelic case file. "I sent you out for information_ not known _to Goldilocks or his lackies.."_

 _Jax stood immobile at his kneeling position at the foot of the throne room stairs, his fiery orange hair spiky yet tamed to almost shadow his magenta eyes. "My apologies, sire, there is very little information known about this situation at all.. I found only two previous cases, but both had been destroyed before any major milestones could be marked.."_

 _"It seems our little angel is a prodigy," Bao scoffed, but the wry amusement in his voice was as clear as glass, "I can't deny I'm curious, though.. Which side will she choose...? And which side will win.. So much is riding on this little spit fire.. It's quite concerning, to be honest.."_

 _There was a sort of scuffle coming from the hallway, and he door burst open with an attendee. Said attendee looked windspept and frantic, his voice shrill and panicked, "SIR JAX-! WE'VE RECEIVED WORD FROM THE ATTENDEE-!"_

 _Jax did not respond, waiting, as was protocol, for him to be dismissed. A flick of the wrist from Bao was all it took for the redhead to dart for the door, bidding his master good evening before dragging his servant by the collar toward the message room._

 _He received the scroll from the vulture-sized phoenix and unrolled it, ignored the attendees audible anxiety as he looked over the names of the three angels on the paper._

 ** _Staff_**

 ** _Sai_**

 ** _Shiruken_**


	27. Chapter 7: Part 1

"My eyeballs hurt.." Natasha muttered under her breath. It was officially Saturday, and she was selecting formatting style for her manga, which she had received the greenlight to publish the other day. She hadn't forgotten about the twin's confessions, but she refused to let them be the forefront thoughts in her mind when she was trying to make a life for herself. Oddly enough, when she'd sent in her last manuscript, there were tiny sticky notes she had brought with her for the book last time that she'd not put in there.. Weird.. Oh well.. More importantly...

They'd seen that commercial _eight. Fucking. Times. MAKE. IT. END._

"One more time~!" Wataru held out the remote with an excited expression, and she couldn't voice her agony, watching as he, once again, replayed the commercial of Futo on a veranda beside the ocean.

" _Being able to greet the dawn with you, like this… I never thought the day would come.. I love you.._ " the closeup on his face made her openly gag, but Wataru was occupied so it was only visible to Kaname and Yusuke, so it was fine, " _And I_ will _love you, forever and ever, for all eternity_ …"

"Ugh-! I can't take this-!" Yusuke whined, his arms thrown behind his head as he expressed both his, and his sister's agony. "Good for Fu-!" Kaname chuckled, obviously addressing his first acting role, while Natasha silently gagged in the background, her tone and words unrelenting for their bluntness. "He could work on his sincerity, he just barely scraped by as liking the person, but love is out of the question for that expression on his face.."

"One more time~!" Wataru cheered, holding out the remote again, to rewind the commercial for the ninth time.. The commercial startled, and Natasha turned her head to the left at Yusuke's groan, the remote being plucked from Wataru's hands swiftly and held from reach of the now whining eleven year old.. God, that was hard to believe, she thought with a mental sweatdrop. She remembered eleven-year-olds of her world.. How incredibly inappropriate and perverse they all were.. How rude and undisciplined… Just the thought of Wataru being tainted like that nearly brought tears to her eyes, and she had him in her grasp for a smothering hug mid-argument.

"That's enough already, isn't it-?.." Yusuke complained. "Oi~!" Wataru whined, trying to reach over Yusuke with an obvious pout, but Yusuke continued, "Why do we gotta see Futo's face over and over again?" "What? But Fu-ton's so cool-! All of my classmates say I'm lucky Fu-ton's my akiki-!" Wataru sounded genuinely confused, but Natasha was nodding her head sagely behind him, arms folded over her chest with the book closed in her lap, before her earlier thought had hit her, and she was scooping Wataru into her arms, holding him tightly to her chest as she gave a whine, "Taru-chan~!" "Onee-chan-?~" he gasped, turning in her arms to face her, only to find he was nearly sandwiched to her breasts, though she was oblivious to his sudden stillness as she rubbed her cheek to the top of his head, "Promise me you'll be like Peter Pan-! Please-! Never grow up and stay your adorable little self-! Away from the indecencies of this planet-!"

"That's stupid.." Yusuke mumbled, his face flushing as he saw his little brother suddenly wrap his arms around his sister with an enthusiastic hum, "Yes, Onee-chan~!"

"But this commercial has been well received, right?" Masaomi couldn't see how tightly or where the two were hugging, though Yusuke looked torn between snapping verbally or physically pulling him off of her at her sweet little giggles of affection, nuzzling his hair like a beloved stuffed toy. "I hear Futo's been popular with girls who are older than him, too," Kaname input, only to have Natasha's roaring laughter follow as she released a suddenly disappointed Wataru and fell to the floor, laughing hysterically as she held her gut. Wataru pouted at the lack of contact, but tilted his head as she watched her beat her fists against the ground, her sweatshirt rising up the small of her back and exposing the creamy white skin beneath the dark fabric.

"T-That's only because-" Natasha started to say between her fit, but as she even thought of the answer, she was sent into a louder, longer fit of laughter as she collapsed into the carpet, the older males looking cross between helping her up and just watching as she finally calmed enough to tremble against the floor, grinning like a loon and wiping away tears.. "Thank you, Aniki.. I needed that laugh.. That was a _wonderful_ de-stresser.."

"It.. was apparently a real coup for him to be chosen," Ukyo spoke up after a moment, having come out to them in his apron and slippers, a tray of steaming tea in three mugs and cocoa in another two. "It seems this travel agency has never hired a popstar before.." "It's really something you know," Masaomi agreed steadily, his eyes trained casually to Ukyo, completely brushing away the fact that his sister's shirt was showing a pale strip of her back, though the tips of his ears begged to differ. "As a result," Ukyo added calmly, his tone and stance also kept in check as he addressed the still sitting-males, though Natasha was now on her stomach, head propped up in her palms with her elbows supporting her weight, feet swinging idely in the air as she watched the exchange in comfortable silence. "The resort in New Caledonia where the commercial was shot is being inundated with reservations." "Wow," Natasha blew out a slow whistle, titling her head in acknowledgement.

"Ugh-!" Yusuke leaned back onto the couch with a huff, his eyes pinched shut as he scowled to the ceiling, "I don't get what people see in him!" "As hateful as ever, aren't you?" Kaname chuckled, trailing his eyes casually to his lounging sister before he relaxed further into the couch.

"That stinking brat.." Yusuke muttered and Natasha bit her lip.

"Yusuke," Masaomi called, his voice oddly serious, "I don't think those are words an older brother should use in reference to his younger brother." "My bad.." he sighed, tilting his forward until Natasha inserted, "I dare you to look up the meaning of that word, Yusuke.. See if you'll ever use it again.." "What?" he looked confused,tilting his head as she stared at her, "What's the definition?" "There are young ears," Natasha said sagely, and when Wataru looked like he was going to protest, so she held up her hand, "Said young owner of ears promised me not to be tainted by indecency." Wataru pouted for a second, before he perked up, a new thought overriding the other one, "Hey-! Hey-! Nevermind that-!" He hopped in his seat a little his eyes bright and perky, "I wanna go there, too-! New Currydonia-!" "It's New Caledonia, Taru-chan.. And this is why I wish him to stay pure," Natasha giggled, smirking as Yusuke looked to her in equal parts curiosity and suspicion. "That's a great idea," Kaname spoke after a moment, his voice warm and inviting as Natasha pulled herself up into an Indian position, tilting her head at his suggestion in silence, "I'd love to go, just the two of us, Imouto-chan." The irritation settled over the brother's heads like a silent sheet, but Natasha sat silently on the floor, below the surface of it as she frowned, confused, "What would the others do for vacation, then?"

"Then how about we all go? Overseas?" Masaomi offered brightly, the twitch of his eye only visible to a severely trained eye. Ukyo looked like his hand was twitching for something behind his back, though Natasha only looked between the brothers with wide eyes. She'd never been overseas in her old life, except for that brief trip to England to keep someone from doing something very, _very_ stupid.. Ugh.. maybe she needed a vacation..

Everyone snapped their eyes to him in shock, but Natasha was seriously thinking it over, she'd have to figure out how to get a legal passport, then decide what to wear.. What to take.. If she should contact Arrow for a memo, if she'd need to register Juli or just let him tag along, if he could be considered a pocket dog able to go on a flight in a purse… Hmm..

Wataru was on his feet in a second and cheering, Natasha leaning forward to catch the cup in Ukyo's hand that was threatening to spill, and he shot her a sudden, relieved smile, before tearing his attention back to Masaomi, "A-All of us, together?"

"Yeah," the eldest nodded firmly, his tone that of a relaxed parent, "How about doing it over summer break..? Well?" He turned his head to Natasha slightly, and she paused her sip of the beautiful cocoa to meet his eyes, his tone warming some, "You're the one I hope to please, you know.." "I've never been out of my home country for pleasure purposes," she trialed off slowly, unsure. Masaomi smiled, his expression melting something in her chest as she lowered her cup just enough to see him clearly, "I'm sure you two have entrance exams to think of, but don't you think you could also use a little break?"

"M-Masa-nii.." Yusuke murmured, and Natasha smiled at the reverence in his tone, he was really touched, as much as he tried to hide it. Masaomi smiled warmly at the two, and Natasha grinned, setting her cup in her saucer as she stretched her arms, "Alright… Masa-nii, you've twisted my arm." She got to her feet suddenly, taking Wataru's hands in her own as she pranced around in a circle with him, "Let's go to Currydonia-!" she cheered, laughing as she chanted with Waaru, using his nickname for it with a giggle. "Curry-! Curry-! Curry-! Curry-!"

The others watched on with slight smiles, and Natasha spun Wataru around like a ballerina, giggling and laughing as they danced. This could be her first family vacation…

* * *

Natasha awoke the next morning with a crick in her neck, groaning as she massaged the aching muscles with her fingers as she dressed, dragging her apron along the floor in one hand like a child's teddy as she trudged down the stairs to the kitchen once she had finished.

The morning passed like it usually did, finishing each bento with a chibi character before setting them out accordingly, and returning to her room to relax for a little while.

Yusuke was in-step with her the entire day, however, and she was vaguely aware of his piercing eyes, her hand every so often slipping up to rub at her neck. "Alright.." she finally called him out as they entered the room, his sudden jerk of surprise sending them both to a crawling pace, "What is it you want to say?" she asked calmly, biting back a yawn as she peered to him from the corner of her eyes, "Spit it out.." "W-Well.." he muttered, shaking his head to clear it before he sighed, a hesitant smile on his face, "How do you feel about going overseas this summer..?"

"That's it?" she sounded put off, she'd honestly expected him to want something from her, the way he was looking at her, "I think it'd be fun.. But we still have exams to take.."

"But I mean.." he trailed off slightly, and they returned to the casual walk as they entered the inner courtyard, "Masa-nii said it, too.. Don't you think we could use a little break, too?" He turned his head to her at the sound of her thoughtful him, his eyes turning curious, "Actually, if it'd be your first time overseas, do you have a passport?" "No, I do not.." she trailed off dejectedly, shaking her head a slight groan, imagining the paperwork, "Ugh.."

Yusuke gave her a bright smile, and she looked up at him in blank wonderment, her eyes blinking owlishly at his easytone, "Kyo-nii's good for that type of thing." His smile stretched as her lips mimicked his into a small smile, "Don't you think we ought to take the break, here?"

"I guess you're right," she sighed, shaking her head as she started walking again, leaving him behind a she continued, "I better get up there, soon, Kuroma-san asked that I help her with her physics homework.. See you in class-!"

She'd barely made it ten feet before she'd heard Futo's voice, his smooth timbre freezing the blood in her veins and stilling her foot above the pavement mid-step, her limbs suddenly stiff and jerky as she cursed her further-tormented neck.

"I see an idiot fantasizing about something pervy~!"

She slowly jerked her body around to face the newest arrival, glaring death at Futo as her face remained passive. Oh well, if Kuroma-san got impatient, she would find Natasha herself. Probably went off looking for her, earlier, anyway. Natasha glared darkly at Futo as he approached, getting just close enough that his siblings could hear him and others could not. "Having pervy fantasies so bright and early?" Futo clucked his tongue disapprovingly to his brother, not two feet away with a smug smile, his older brother tense and on edge, "How unwholesome.." "W-What the hell are you saying?!" Yusuke hissed, grinding his teeth as he clenched the handle of his case tighter.

"I can tell," Futo pointed out calmly, his eyes perking up as he peered around his brother to meet Natasha's eyes, closing them in a sickly-sweet smile, "You were admiring cute Onee-chan's butt, weren't you~?" He giggled. Natasha narrowed her eyes further, hearing the distant call for her name as she took three full steps forward, arms folding over her chest as she gave him a level glare, spine straight. "What would you know, Brat..? Yusuke's way out of my league.." Yusuke must have missed that comment, because he was still sputtering over Futo's comment.

Yusuke had a hold of his collar in the next instant, bringing Futo close to his face with dark intent. "You bastard-!" Natasha flinched, but kept silent, "You better knock it off already-!"

Natasha slid her eyes to the suddenly aware mob of fangirls slowly surrounding them at a reasonable distance to avoid restraining order complaints, tapping her foot slowly as she watched in silence. She could hear the thundering footsteps of Kuroma-san gaining speed toward her, but the brothers seemed not to have noticed.

"Thanks for fixing my button, Yusuke-nii," Futo purred in malicious content, his face that one of a cat who's butler had flame broiled the canary and received a massage while eating it.

"You're Asakura- Futo-kun's brother-?!" One of the stand-by females called out to Yusuke in awe, as if just being in proximity with the male could promote her to social goddess. Yusuke seemed flustered by the sudden attention, so Futo took full advantage of it, playing it up like a sadistic angel. "Yep~! He's my Big Bro and I look up to him-!" He pat Yusuke's shoulder consolingly as he stepped around him, prepared to leave him behind to the piranhas. "Well, good luck studying for your entrance exams.. Nii-san.." he finished his words with a lower tone, mockery veiled thinly so it was near transparent to outsiders. Natasha raised an unamused eyebrow at him as he neared her.

He flashed her a smile, though, to her surprise, it quickly turned to shock, his eyes flicking over her shoulder as he paused, eyebrows furrowing. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, when a pair of arms wrapped around Natasha's head, a weight slamming into her back hard enough to send her stepping forward firmly to keep the balance, her face otherwise impassive as she reached an arm back behind her head to awkwardly pat the windblown strands of golden copper now flying around her in the after wind of Kuroma's sprint, said female squealing and whining about how Natasha was taking too long to get here, and even though it was still a few minutes before they promised to meet, she was too excited to wait and wanted to meet her kitten early to give her her morning affection and love.

To Futo's shock, Akira gave him a brief, dismissive glance, her face stony toward him, before it melted once again into the peppy sugar one as she turned her attention back to his sister, continuing to speak vigorously to the shorter female, her breasts nearly swallowing her head from behind and her arms tight enough to constrict a normal human's breathing.

Natasha stayed quiet for a few minutes, letting her ramble until she caught sight of Futo's amused smile, that one twitch of his lips enough for her patience to snap, and she dropped to one knee, the weight balance, tilted as she felt Kuroma keen forward, over her hunched body with lack of support. Natasha stuck out her ankle, swinging her arm up to guide her waist as she shot up with the other leg, the momentum bringing her a good foot in the air in a jump, before gravity found the nerve again, and her feet tapped to the ground, Kuroma now bridal in her arms and blinking owlishly at the shorter girl who held her with ease. "If you will excuse me, _Asakura-san_ ," she put emphasis on the name as she glared into his eyes, "But I have a prior engagement, and am unable to continue with this absolutely lovely topic you consider school appropriate.. ..Kuroma-san," Natasha spoke calmly, turning her head to look the female in the eye, who seemed overall stunned by the situation, "You're going to be late. We should get to class, soon."

Pure silence surrounded the courtyard as she started walking toward the building, ignoring Yusuke's gaping fish impression and Futo's slow, blinking stare. Natasha carried the blonde up two sets of stairs, but by that time, her cargo was squealing in fear, arms thrown awkwardly around Natasha's neck and head as she struggled not to squirm, though Natasha's balance was impeccable and her steps were casual and steady, as if she were just carrying a small stack of paper.

"Nata-chan~! This is so embarrassing~!" she whined, tucking her face into Natasha's neck without another thought as Natasha passed yet another hallway full of frozen, ogling students and faculty, now just a few short seconds from her classroom. "Then you should have waited," Natasha sound more amused than she did reprimanding, and Kuroma chanced a peek up to the younger girl, the silverettes face trained forward, and the slightest, pleased smirk on her lips. Heat spread from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair, and the blonde shamelessly stared in awe as Natasha entered the classroom, ignoring the watching eyes, and placed her in her usual seat with gentle, careful movements, cautions of her skirt and hair. Natasha dusted her hands casually once Kuroma was on stable ground, patting the strangely quiet blonde's head with a warm, gentle smile. "Study hard, okay?" Natasha grinned, her free hand flashing a peace sign before she bowed, and left the room. Kuroma lifted a hand to her cheek, feeling the heat there nearly scorching her fingers, and she looked up as a handful of people swarmed her desk, asking if she had been hurt. One of the more perceptive, studious females however, leaned forward, resting her elbows on Kuroma's desk with a knowing look. "How hard did you fall..?"

Akira paused, her mouth opening slightly, moving with silent sounds, before she shook her head, her eyes suddenly teary as she attacked the inquiring woman's waist, bawling, "Why does it have to hurt so much~?!" The raven haired bookworm adjusted her glasses carefully, closing the textbook she had been pulled from and patting the top of her head stiffly, others watching in dumbfounded silence, chilled sweatdrops staining the backs of their heads as they watched the display.

"There, there," the raven's monotone was anything but soothing, but Akira seemed to have calmed some, curling onto a ball on the female's lap as she explained her situation in a babble no one but the raven seemed to understand. _What an odd class.._


	28. Chapter 7: part 2

The class was more or less silent when she'd gotten to her seat, and Natasha was thankful, her fingers probing her forehead carefully as she caught the eyes of Yusuke. She sent him a reassuring smile, lowering her hands to her lap as she turned to face the board, nearly flinching at the sight of the words "Hinode Festival" written up on the old green chalkboard. She internally sighed, then smiled, it would be the first school festival she'd get to participate in.. So.. why not make it as epic as possible?

Class started several minutes later, and slowly, the stares she was receiving, and the whispers of gossip circling, settled, and the sensei called everyone to order, motioning for the class president over while she spoke, "Before we get started on today's lesson, I'd like to call up Sasakura-kun. He has a special announcement about the festival preparations." He was a taller male, with light brown hair that fell past his ears, and cool brown eyes. He stepped up to the podium after a respective bow to the class, his smile calm and easy as he traced his eyes along each and every row of students. "Well, the Culture Fest is next month and coming up fast, but we still haven't decided what our class's project will be." The sensei cut in quickly, her tone light and relieved, almost, "I'm sure you're aware, but this will be your final Culture Festival.. Please be sure to make it one you will have no regrets about."

"Last one, huh..?" Natasha murmured under her breath, leaning back in her chair as she furrowed her eyebrows. What would be an awesome, not cliche theme..

"Asahina?" her attention was brought back to earth my Sasakura's call, ears perking up when she saw he was staring at Yusuke who was behind and kitty corner to her on her left. "You've got something to say?" Natasha turned her head to look back at him curiously, and he seemed to flinch at the sudden attention from everyone, his hand finding his hair as he looked out the window, then turned toward the board with hesitant enthusiasm, "W-Well.. Like, a cafe or something, right..?"

"A cafe, huh?" Sasakura repeated, testing it out, before his smile grew brighter, "That might be good-!" "Way to go, Yusuke," Natasha flashed him a smile, and he grinned back, easier this time.

"Me-!" a girl called from beside her, and Natasha turned to look as the rest of the class did. She had a curly grey-blonde bob cut, and big doe eyes, her name was Mahoko, Imai, if Natasha recalled correctly. "Imai?" Sasakura-san called out, his tone curious, "You've got something?"

She nodded in affirmation, and Natasha tilted her head toward her, intently as she continued, "If we're doing a cafe, I don't think we should do a normal one. We need to have some type of concept.. For example.." she was on her feet in a second, and Natasha flinched back in her seat, staying steady while Mahoko slammed one hand on the table, the other raised high in the air with triumph. "A butler cafe~!" Natasha sweatdropped, along with half of the male students, as stars seemed to sparkle behind her. "A b.. butler cafe?" Yusuke repeated slowly, the rest of the class that wasn't stunned by her attitude murmuring in delight, mainly the females. "For real-?" "That'd be so cool~!" "The boys would look so handsome-!" "We've gotta do this one-!"

"I'll put the suggestions on the board-!" Sasakura called out to calm everyone, scratching at the board to write Butler Cafe down on one side, before addressing the rest of the class. "Are there any more ideas? It can be anything.." "How about a Zombie Cafe-!" a boy further back called up, some of the males near him agreeing with hums and fists bumps. "I kind of want a normal cafe," a quiet girl near the front of the room called out calmly, her eyebrows furrowed, "It would be much less work, and we could focus on the food and tea."

Ichijo paused a moment to write everything down, before looking over the room again, the majority of everyone sucked into small groups to discuss details. Natasha frowned at the list slightly, not really wanting to wear a maids' outfit. Sasakura met her eyes at that second, and her expression went blank as she sat straighter, his calm smile directed solely at her. "What about you, Hinata-san?" he asked in a slightly raised voice, to be heard above the others. In that same instance, everyone was instantly silent, snapping their eyes to Natasha sharply as she forced herself not to shudder at their stares, and clench her fingers, lifting a hand to push the strands of her bangs away from her face, "How about a.. Musical cafe..? We could have people playing music in the background, and little dishes to associate with music styles.." There were some quiet, inaudible murmurs, and Sasakura gave her a firm nod, turning to write down Musical Cafe on the board, before giving everyone a patient look. "Here's where we'll vote. All in favor of the Zombie cafe?" A total of six hands went up, and he turned to write it on beneath the option, before turning back to the class. "Normal Cafe?"

Two hands raised near the front of the room, and he recorded the number, before flashing the room a slight smile, "How about the Musical Cafe?" Natasha raised her hand politely after a moment, glancing back at the sound of a desk creaking, to see Yuusuke with his palm raised. There were only two hands raised, though, so when he had put down three beneath the option, Mahoko voiced her concerns. "Sasakura-kun-! Only two people raised their hands for that-!"

"I voted for the Musical Cafe as well," he grinned lightly at her, scratching the back of his neck, "It sounds much better than walking around in a suit, anyways.."

"Oh," her response was kind of dejected, but it made Natasha giggle, giving her a reassuring smile when the Butler Cafe option was called, and the rest of the room raised their hand, being about three guys, and all but three girls. Natasha sighed in resignation, praying that she wouldn't need to wear a skirt, and if she did, that she would be able to avoid Futo.

"As a result of the vote, we'll be doing a butler cafe," Sasakura called in announcement, the majority of the females breaking out in squeals. Sasakura began listing out assignment topics, and Natasha was roped into advertising with Yusuke, which actually wouldn't be too much of a problem.

"What the heck?" Yusuke huffed, seriously surprised by the results, Natasha smiled a little, leaning over the back of her chair as he continued, "Did all the girls vote for the butler cafe?"

"All but three," Natasha giggled, catching his attention as she flashed him a grin, giving her a slight smile in return. "Thanks for taking pity on me." "What?" he sounded affronted, almost insulted, actually, "I wasn't- That wasn't it-.." he shook his head to focus, before giving her a firm look, her eyes wide and curious, "I chose that because it sounded like fun.." He slid his eyes out toward the window as he continued to himself, silently in his head, _Not to mention.. You're the most beautiful when you're enjoying yourself._. "It's fun for you, isn't it?" he said instead, his cheeks flushing lightly as he glanced back to her, though this time, she was digging through her bag with a concentrated look, slipping out the infamous sketchbook she never let him see as she flipped to a clean page, and pushed her chair over to him quickly, plopping into it so they were sitting one-on-one over his desk, blank paper between them as Natasha pulled out her pen case. "Oh well," she smiled at him in thanks, "No helping it. Might as well kick ass with this, at least."

"Yeah," his lips twitched into a small smile, both of them starting to reach for their pencils, when a new, familiar voice cut into their planning. "Big brother of Asakura Futo-!" Imai was just a few short feet away, her expression firm and confident. "What?" Natasha and Yusuke spoke in sync, sharing a sharp, surprised look, before they snorted, biting back smiles. She'd really gotten closer to Yusuke these last few months.. Imai's voice cut into their exchange again, the cheerful woman grinning as she pumped her fist in excitement.

"Now that it's decided, I expect your cooperation-!" Mahoko grinned. Natasha flinched a little at the peppiness, sliding a subtle look Yusuke once she was called away to her own group- costume detail. Shudder. In a low voice, he said, that only she could hear, "M.. My little brother has nothing to do with it, right..?" "She's just a lovesick puppy," Natasha reaching out a hand to play with his braid, the blood red strand falling over his shoulder, and she tilted her head, laughing when he tensed a little, before she pointed down at the end in her hand, "You rushed your hair this morning, didn't you?"

"H-How did you-?" he started, but stopped as he looked down at her hand, where the braid seemed to be all out of whack, the majority of it twisted, while only half of it was taut, the other half either backwards or not completely in the tie. "How did I not-?-?" He huffed incredulously as she slipped the tie out, his body completely freezing as she started to unravel the messy braid from the bottom, to the nape of his neck, the quiet, relaxing moment shared between the two as if they were the only ones in the school. When she'd completely untangled all of the strands, he watched as she pulled it in half from behind his neck, letting the strands slip like silk through her fingers as she parted them around his neck, so they fell to his chest in two, equal strips of hair. She sat back to examine her work, and he swallowed, staying still as she tilted his face one way, then the other, before nodding to herself in approval, and sitting back with a grin, and a low whistle, "Look at you~!" she said in a teasing tone, her smile nearly glittering in mischief, "I wouldn't mind having you at my beck and call like that." "W-What-?!" he reared back in his seat, as if her comment had physically tried to take a swing at him, which, in this case, it kind of did. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Aww~!" She cooed, reaching forward to lightly pinch his cheeks, pulling them apart carefully for a smile, "You just look so cute~! Now-" she got a gleam of something in her eye at that moment, and he was having a hard time keeping his thoughts in order at such a close distance, "-Give me a 'yes, your majesty', for me.." He snapped out of it in an instant, his swatting her hand away lightly as she collapsed in a fit of giggles, her shoulders shaking in mirth as he huffed, "Laugh it up.. You're just jealous.." "You have such pretty hair though~!" she hinted, laughter still in her voice, "It's my favorite shade of red, too~!" "It is..?" he asked suddenly, surprise on his face as she blew a lock of powdery white hair from her eyes, "Yeah, it's just like the color you make when Tsubaki teases you," she said sagely.

"Who's face is red when who teases who-?" His arm was around her neck a second later, pulling her head forward as his fingers flew to her hair, messing up the strands with a vigor as she squealed,"I'm sorry- I'm sorry-! I couldn't pass it up-! Mercy-!" "I'm sorry," he looked away, his expression innocent, "What was that? I can't seem to hear you over the sound of a dying cat-!" "Yusuke-!" she waved her hands frantically in mercy as she giggled, tears pricking her eyes as he continued to fluff up her hair with each pass of his hand. "Stop or I'll wind up looking like a marshmallow-!" "I kind of want to see that," he answered instead, a soft, guttural laugh leaving him as he finally released her, letting her fall back into her seat with a huff as she hovered her hands by her ears, clenching and unclenching her fingers as she closed her eyes in mock despair, "What have you _done_..?"

He snorted once, before he smacked a hand over his mouth, his face scrunching up as tears pricked the corner of his eyes. _She wasn't kidding_. "Pfft.. Gghh-"

She had a big, puffed white mass of silver cotton candy on her head, wind-swept and defying gravity in all directions, but mainly up. He burst out laughing a second later, holding his sides in pain as he leaned against the desk, listening to her frustrated grumbling as she muttered inaudible, dark words he assumed were threats to his health.

 _Stupid little- attractive- laughing- adorable- jerk-faced- tall- sexy- MOTHER FUDGING GAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH-?!_

She sniffed several times, trying to regain her composure as she hit him with a small, steady glare. "Fix. It." He wiped the corner of his eye as he met her gaze, his giggles still spilling into his voice by the bucket-full, "You can't fix it yourself?" "I wouldn't be able to pull anything out of it.." she muttered blandly, and he chuckled again, lifting a hand to his face to rub away the lingering traces of amusement, as pointless as that was, before he caved, "Alright.. Alright.. Hold still.." lifting both hands to her hair, he began parting the strands carefully, his touch hesitant, but gentle.

Natasha waited until he had finished to sigh in relief, reaching for her pen a moment later and tapping her lips in thought, looking down at the blank sketchbook pages in front of them, the book turned sideways so they each had a portion of paper in a landscape position. Yusuke watched her pen tapping for a moment, before he forced himself to focus, and reached for his own, tapping it to the paper with meticulous movements, "So.. you're the artsy one out of the two of us.."

Natasha gave him a look, and he raised his eyebrows, his eyes narrowing, "Does this mean I'll get to actually see what you draw this time?" "Mmm..?" she pressed her lips together tightly, before she sighed through her nose, flicking out her phone, before she turned her eyes to the clock, forcing her eyes away from him with a stern expression. "You have one minute. Go." "What?" he blurt, his eyebrows drawn together as she spoke again, "Fifty eight seconds."

It took him another moment to catch on, before he lifted up the book, folding it closed, before he opened it to the first page, the artwork there enough to make him want to stare longer, but with the time crunch, he started flipping through the pages carefully, eyes raking in each page before dashing to another. By the time she called, "Stop," he shut it with a snap, holding it out to her in silence with his head down. "Satisfied?" she asked calmly, flipping back to the blank pages as she brought the pencil to the paper smoothly, his slight nod ignored as she continued to speak, "Now that that's over with, I was thinking, that since it was going to be a butler cafe, we could have a more nineteenth century feel.. Deep blues or purples, golds and silvers.. I was thinking stars..?" She looked up for his input, but he was focussed on twirling his pencil, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Yusuke," she called, deadpanned, and he looked up with a start, his face bright with surprise, until she pointed down a her sketch, "O. Pin. I. On. Now." "S-...Sorry.." he murmured.

 _What's with him..? They're just pictures of Arrow.. And a couple of Bao.._ She thought idly in his silence for a moment, before she repeated herself, smacking him lightly atop the head with the sketchbook in reprimand, "O. PIN. I. ON-! Don't think I'll be doing all the work, mister.. Now pick a damn color scheme.." " _Itai_.." he muttered, rubbing his head as he peered over her work. This was going to be a long day..

* * *

Natasha was relaxed languidly on the red sofa of their livingroom several hours after returning home, Ukyo greeting her and Yusuke with a tray of coffee and hot cocoa several minutes later while Yusuke explained the festival. Natasha had the advertisement plans spread out on the coffee table, but the two of them were procrastinating with the excuse of snack break. Kaname was off to her right, while Yusuke was a similar distance to her left, Ukyo being the only one standing while he passed out tea, and Natasha's cocoa. "A butler cafe?" he repeated sounding politely intrigued after Yusuke's recount of the event, "Sounds interesting."

"There's nothing interesting about it," Yusuke grumbled, clearly disappointed about having to dress up, though Natasha merely giggled softly at his attitude, earning his narrowed eyed look in response as she completely started laughing. When she'd finally let it die off, wiping lovingly at her eyes for imaginary tears, Kaname spoke up in his usual purr.

"If it's a butler cafe, what will you be doing, imouto-chan?" he asked curiously, leaning forward ever so slightly in await for her answer. Natasha took a moment to hum, sipping sagely at her teacup of cocoa before she answered. "Well.. The _plan_ is for the girls to stay in the back to cook.. And normally, I wouldn't have an issue with that.. It's just.." she trailed of for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, before Yusuke finished for her with a groan, "She has the sneaking suspicion she's going to end up in a maid outfit." he rolled his eyes, as if it were the most ridiculous thing in the world, but the flush on his cheeks went unnoticed only to the female, "It's a butler cafe.. You're being paranoid.." "While I wouldn't mind seeing Imouto-chan in a maid outfit~" Kaname purred brightly, his suave practically drowning the room with testosterone as Natasha glanced over the rim of her cup to listen intently, "If the tea is being made by you, I wouldn't mind it~"

Yusuke seemed extra brittle today, but he was quick to insert into the exchange, "If it's tea, you're drinking it right now-!" Natasha looked up to Ukyo at his soft, amused chuckle, his face smiling gently, but an underlying tension behind his closed eyes, "There's the entrance exams as well, but I hope you have fun." "Thanks Ukyo-nii," Natasha smiled, raising a peace sign as she sat up straighter in her seat, reaching over to tug on Yusuke's sleeve so he would have to lean forward with her, his surprised snort lost as she began shuffling the papers on the table with a fervor, "Alright, break time's over~! I'm pumped-!" she pumped her fist for emphasis as she grinned, "Let's do this-!" Yusuke gave a soft, breathy snort through his nose, before he smiled, nodding, though she didn't see it, before he began looking through another set of flier options, they had about ten.

It was almost midnight by the time she'd been sent to her room for bed, but her insomnia was kicking in, her eyes taking longer before blinking and pupils dilating as she got accustomed to the sudden burst of energy. She was not going to like this. Ugh.. May as well be productive..


	29. Chapter 7: part 3

Natasha had three more rough drafts of her manga made by the time it was her cue to make bentos, slipping each neat pile into a folder before sealing it with a dated, handwritten note. It took her a few minutes to dress, but she was completely full of energy as she tied the apron around her form before going downstairs, maybe she would try vocaloid characters, this time… Since it apparently did not exist on this planet.. She almost wanted to cry at that.. But she powered through it.. She'd just have to _create_ some mix tapes or something..

She was just tying the last knot of the lunch bentos when a pair of footsteps slowed behind her, a soft yawn cutting the air as someone fumbled around the cabinets. Natasha turned her head just in time to see Masaomi falter with his grip on a mug, full awareness only coming to him out of panic as it slipped through his fingers, falling in slow motion to the ground. Natasha's ankles snapped apart, and she hit the floor in a sharp split, her eyes pinching shut from pain as she shot her hand out, catching the mug upside-down. Masaomi seemed frozen to the spot as he stared down, a pained grunt leaving the girl before he was springing to his knees, his hands on her shoulders and back as he helped to pick her up, "Are you alright-? Why on earth did you do that-?" "Because it's you're favorite mug," she huffed, flinching before she shot him a smile, holding out the cup with careful hands, "I had the opportunity to save it, so I did. Plain and simple." "You're hurt," he nearly deadpanned at her attitude, his jaw flexing in thought as he looked over her clothed body for sight of immediate injury. Catching his eyes, she shook her head, narrowing her eyes in warning, "Masaomi.. I'll admit I'm in pain-" when he'd opened his mouth to speak, she'd hopped onto her tippy toes, her hand shooting to his mouth as she leaned against his chest for leverage, "Don't you dare even think about it- let me speak." He was silent beneath her hand, but she kept it there for precaution, "Yes, I'm in pain.. But you're not in charge of this one.. Your job is demanding enough.."

"That's completely irrelevant," he lifted his hand to pull her's away, holding it tightly so she couldn't escape, their eyes locking intensely as she stilled completely in his grasp. "It doesn't matter how much is on my plate, if you're hurt, I'm going to do whatever I can to make it feel better. I can't understand why you can't grasp this.." "Masaomi.." she murmured, a twitch coming to her eye as she grit her teeth, "Let it go.. This _one_ time.." "Not likely," he narrowed his eyes, and there was that rare, serious look again, his eyes hard as he gazed down at her. "You're important to us.. Natasha. If I can prevent you from getting hurt, I'll take it.. But If I can't, i'll be there to help you through it.."

"Masaomi," she snapped, and a flash of surprise flit across his still-serious face as she glared at him, point blank, "I'm hurt between the apex of my thighs, forgive me for not wanting you to do _anything_. Something you should realize by now is that I'm a pushover for everything but indecency."

His wide eyes blinked slowly, once, then twice, before he brought a hand to his face, covering the lower half of it with his large palm as he sighed through his nose, hiding the unsightly flush on his face from her view, fingers slipping up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he waited in silence.

His grip on her shoulder hadn't relent, but she ignored it, raising a slim eyebrow at him as she spoke, her voice lower, "Do you even understand..?" He breathed in deeply, before releasing it in a huff, lowering his hand so both of them gripped her upper arms firmly, holding her in place as he bent down, forcing her to look him in the eye, though her sudden stiffness was brushed off as he set his mouth in a grim line, "You have the worst luck." She felt a sweatdrop slide down the back of her head, and she gave a low, awkward laugh, "Oh, you have no idea.." She felt his cool lips press into her forehead gently, before he completely backed off, holding his mug reverently before he sighed, giving her a slight smile, "Then.. Thank you.. For rescuing my favorite mug.." "Anytime," she shrugged, turning back to secure the bento knot before turning to put it into his hands. "There you go, now-" she gave him a quick, two fingered salute, before she brushed past him, his had turning to watch her as she padded through the hall toward the living room, "I'll see you for dinner tonight, and if not, I'm going to drop it off again." "You really don't need to go out of your way to-" he started to protest, but she had turned her head to give him a sharp look, his mouth shutting out of reflex at the serious glower on her face.

"Worry is not extended to only be from you, Masaomi," she spoke calmly, her tone careful as she pressed a hand to the wall, "I'm allowed to look after your well being just as much as you look after mine.. You should get used to that.." She left without another word, leaving him to gape like a fish behind her as she went to finish getting ready in her room. _Why did she have to be so.._ He sighed in agitation, forcing his fingers through his hair as he turned sharply to make his coffee, but when he saw the already prepared pot, still steaming, and resigned himself to his fate, he hung his head with a soft, inaudible groan. _Why..?_

 _Why did it have to be her..?_

* * *

It was decided in class that they would each separately work on their group projects throughout the weekdays, but on Tuesdays, the class would collaborate together up until the end of the month and the actual festival. Natasha was getting the approval of the teacher for Yusuke's and her collaboration designs, slowly walking around the groups as well to see if things should be added or cut, through with the amount of effort the two put into it, it was kind of surprising that there were no complaints. As she finally finished her rounds of collaboration, she slumped into her seat with a groan, glancing around the room in a calm, bored manner, until she caught the eye of Sasakura-san.

He was talking politely to a shorter boy, a member of their class who was tasked with table decor, when he seemed to draw his eyes over to her desk, his deep brown orbs widening ever so slightly at the sight of the silver haired female glancing to him. He didn't move his gaze away until she had peeled her eyes to the window, watching as a flock of birds did cartwheels across the sky before disappearing out of the view.

"Hinata-san?"

Natasha snapped her eyes up at the call, Sasakura was standing prim and proper in front of her, rubbing the back of his neck lightly with a nervous smile painted across his lips, his voice light and casual, "Would you mind if I looked over your progress for the festival, so far?" "Oh," she smiled slightly as she picked up her slim folder, where several practice copies of the fliers were printed, one of each design, for voting and viewing. That way, minimal hands were forced upon her precious slash dangerous sketchbook without consent.

He took the folder into his hands carefully with a 'thank-you' before he started flipping through the designs, he was quiet for a minute, leaning against the desk in front of her's as he faced her, relaxing ever so slightly as he lowered the folder, meeting her eyes with an impressed look, "These plans are pretty well thought out.." he tilted his head, as if in concern, "You've talked this over with the others, then? Judging by the pen marks.." "Yeah," she nodded slightly, reaching forward to accept the revised copies back from him, though he didn't leave from his spot, his arms folding languidly over his chest as he gave a small, puffed sigh. "Soo.. you and Asahina, huh..?"

"Huh?" she deadpanned, her face clearing off all reaction as she narrowed her eyes. He blinked his eyes slowly, ashy brown eyebrows drawing together in confusion as his tone turned almost teasing, "Yusuke Asahina..? You're dating, right?" "What-no-!" she was quick to deny it, but a sharp turn in her gut had her wondering if she should have just avoided the prompt all together, but from the now curious stares subtly tuning into their conversation, she held firm to her blight, seeing it through to the end. "Yusuke and I aren't dating." "Really," he sounded more surprised than anything else, eyebrows now disappearing into the shaggy bangs above his brow, "I could have sworn.." he caught himself, then started over, a bit more rushed, "What I mean to say is- you two are really close for a guy and a girl.. You know?"

"No," she shook her head slightly, eyes blinking widely at him as she stared, "I didn't actually.. Soo," she mimicked his earlier tone, leaning forward to put her elbows in the desk, propping her chin up on her hands, "What brought this on, so suddenly..?"

"Auh-" he choked a little, flashing her a hesitant smile as he ran his fingers through his head, "No particular reason, I just.." He trailed his eyes off toward the window, his eyes glancing to the seat Yusuke usually occupied, but he was out running an errand for sensei since they were practically jobless until crunch time came.. "I was wondering, if you had.. Feelings for him..?"

"Why?" she stated sullenly, her eyebrow raising in suspicion when he lifted his hands quickly raising them in surrender, his expression a mixture of mortified embarrassment, though he was still smiling, "Well, its.. Kind of poor sport to go after someone taken, right..?" Reality seemed to smack her in the face, and she lit up like a Christmas tree, grinning brightly with wide eyes she clenched her fists in front of her, "Are you saying.. what I think you're saying..?" Momentarily stunned by her expression, the room erupted in whispers, watching intently while their class president shook his head sharply, his face flushing instantly as he looked off toward the window, "W-Well.. Yeah, I mean.. I was kind of.. _Hoping_.. That you weren't dating.." He trailed off awkwardly, and Natasha felt the deepest pang of pity in her heart, her stance becoming firm as she jumped to her feet, grasping both of his hands in hers and holding them level to their chests, his eyes widening as his face flushed, from beneath the collar of his shirt to the tips of his ears.

"Don't worry Sasakura-kun, I completely understand," she smiled widely, at him, and his breath caught in his throat as silence fell around them, though she paid no mind, her attention completely on him as she gave him a serious nod, "If you ever need any help, anything at all, you'll tell me, alright?"

He blinked slowly in silence as she dipped her head once, dismissing herself politely, before she scrambled to gather her things together. Once everything was safely tucked into the bag at her hip, she gave him another smile, saluting slightly as the last few seconds of class before lunch were counting down. "While I'm not completely certain what goes through Yusuke's head, I'm happy that someone's taking such a liking to him, you have my support-!"

Glass seemed to shatter through the souls surrounding the room, Sasakura's face being the only thing displaying his stunned shock, but before he could open his mouth to vehemently deny it, the bell let out a shrill, and she grinned, patting his shoulder in a friendly way for she hurried toward the door, the rest of the room was watching him, frozen to their spots in silent pity, even sensei giving him a slight, reassuring smile.

"It's actually not that surprising, if you think about it," one of the more demure females broke the tense silence to her nearby friend after a moment, "It explains why she doesn't date. She's about as sharp as a child's crayon."

Sasakura stared at the door she had left from, his soul spilling from his lips as he groaned in self-pity. "What is wrong with me.."

"She didn't flat out reject you, yet," Mattaki, a boy he was quite literally best friends since diapers, slung an arm around his shoulder casually, his copper-blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail as he pat Sasakura's shoulder consolingly, "I think you'd still have a chance if you actually _talked_ to her.. None of that vague, mumbly shit you try.." "Well I'm _sorry_ for being distracted by the fact she hardly looks _real_ ," Sasakura snapped at him quietly, his face flushing again as he glared at his shoes, "Seriously, what is wrong with me?" Kuroma, Mattaki's laughter was the only answer he'd receive.

* * *

Natasha swept around the kitchen with a dutiful tune on her lips, the counters shining with a reflective sparkle, the appliances gleaming in harmony with the windows, and every surface polished to perfection. The sweeping was actually her final polishing, a series of rags coiled together as a duster-type product that she tied to the end of a stick. Clever, right?

When she'd finished with the kitchen, she grinned, running a hand over the back of her eyes as she twirled around in her perky sate. This wasn't in the anime, or the manga, but being privy to the knowledge that there was a boy with affections for Yusuke was something she did not take lightly. As she had embraced, and stuck true to, since the first few moments of her realization for the prospect of another life, she held true to her vows, pumping her fist once as she examined the kitchen with triumph. "No regret-!"

"Oh? Why would you regret something like this? You've made it shine, Imouto-chan," a voice called behind her, and she turned her head to see Kaname leaned up against the doorway, a playful smile on his lips, he was wearing his casual sash, conveying he was either back from working the morning or not going tonight. "Yosh-!" she grinned, flashing him a grin and a quick thumbs up, "I'm talking about life.. But I'm glad this is done, there are some things I wanted to do in my room." "Oh?" he sounded interested now, his eyebrows lifting lightly as he watched her flip the stick expertly in her hand so the mess of rags at the end was now about eye level, her fingers making quick work of undoing the little contraption as she continued to hum softly. "Do you have plans for today?"

"Yep," she flashed him a smile, her eyes lighting up with an emotion he couldn't entirely place on her.. She seemed.. A bit more exuberant, somehow.. Buddha knew why..

"Mind if I stick around, then?" he asked casually, his arms folded gently over his chest as he smiled to her, her own bright grin missing the gleam of adoration that filled his eyes. How could something so small be so perky, even at this time of day..? It was adorable..

"Are you good with figures?" she asked curiously, tilting her head a bit as she paused above the sink, hand outstretched to grasp the cabinet handle as she waited for his answer.

"Numbers?" he asked with a chuckle, playing along, but her shake of the head had him pausing, her hand lifting from the cabinet to gesture to her own body, and then his, "No, figures, like bodies. Are you good with those? I need help with a project." He opened his mouth to speak, but his tongue was drought for words, his eyes blinking owlishly as she blinked up at him, expectantly. He cleared his throat then, wondering about what exactly she meant, but unwilling to let the chance slip by. He offered her a gentle smile, his eyes warm as he nodded, "I suppose I'm as good as any."

"Really?" she sounded surprised for a moment, but it had hints of excitement, her face nearly blinding him with the light from her beaming grin, "That's great-! Thank you-!" "Anything for my cute little imouto-chan~!" he couldn't help but laugh, bending over to pat her head as he moved to close the cabinet she had opened. She was short, but something told him she'd miraculously manage to smack her head into it, should he not intervene, beforehand.. She furiously righted the strands he had mussed, his mouth curving up in the corners as he watched her lips pucker in a pout, before returning to a pleased smile as she stood, cleaning supplies put away and her hands clapping softly in excitement. She hopped in place for a moment, before reaching out to take his hand, immediately darting toward the hallway with him in tow, though she was unable to see his stunned smile, being ahead of him, and all... "I can't thank you enough for this-! There were some scenes I needed specific poses for, but I had absolutely no way to have a model for it-"

He listened to her ramble about how she needed a specific set of poses for her project, how she needed someone with a leaner frame, but having no idea what to do- in other words- he'd found the opportune moment for her, and himself.

Natasha nudged her door open with ease, asking him politely to wait for a moment while she retrieved her things. "Hey Juli," he heard her call out brightly, her tone warm and relaxed, "I'm going to go drawing outside, today. Would you like to come with or rest more?" He listened to the small animal chatter wildly, and he heard her sigh, her tone turning bitter, "Thank you for making an effort, this time, I appreciate you not using that word.." He raised an eyebrow at her words, ear subconsciously brushing the door as he listened to things clatter around when she spoke aloud, interrupted only by the squirrel between bouts between phrases.

"He's not that bad, Juli.. You're making him out to be some skirt chasing Miroku from Inuyasha.." Scritch-Scratch-Scritch-! "No, I don't. Do _you_ have a problem with this..? You seem to have forgotten your 'birdman' is watching over me at all hours, so you shouldn't be so fussy about it, anyway.." Kaname leaned back a bit in stunned confusion, his eyebrows furrowing as he grimaced, not understanding anything about the situation.

"Ne, Juli- can you hand me that pen over- no-no- the blue one- I like that one."

Scritch-!

"Thank you." There was a pause, and what sounded like shuffling papers, "So, should I hold onto these manuscripts and send them in seperately, or all at once so they can do whatever the hell they please?" Scritch-scritch-! "You're right, that is an unfortunate possibility," he flinched as he heard her disappointed sigh, her footsteps drawing nearer to the door as he shuffled back a few steps. "Well I'll be off, Ju-ju-! If bird-boy stops by, there's chocolate on the desk-!" He moved quickly to lean against the wall with a carefree expression, relaxing on the outside while his mind churned with many unanswered questions. She didn't have the squirrel with her as she exit the room, locking it behind her as he examined the amount of _things_ she was carrying. There seemed to be a portable desk and two stool-like chairs, a clipboard, several manilla folders that looked nearly stuffed balanced atop what looked like a torso-sized sketchpad, with several more spiral and leather-bound books gathered in her arm as well, her expression completely blank, as if she were handling just a book or two and not half of what looked like an art supply store. He saw a thicker metal case at the crook of her arm, too, and he flashed her a smile, "Would you like some help?"

"Mmm.." she actually took a moment to think over the offer, before she shrugged, turning her gaze to study his outline from his toes to his hair as she spoke casually, "I suppose, if you want.. I don't mind either way.." He ignored his shudder of surprise at the intensity in her eyes as she looked him over, removing the foldable desk and collapsible stools from her back, and slinging the carrying straps over his shoulder before taking a good half of the books. Her smile momentarily distracted him from his questions as she motioned for him to follow with a flick of her head, her hair escaping the loose bun without fail and swaying to her steps. "I was hoping for a few ones in the garden, then maybe the livingroom and kitchen.. After that.." she trailed off as she thought about the final scenes she absolutely needed, but the flush in her face picked up as she went quiet, forcing her mind not to wander to her creative writing style. Definitely not a good idea to let down that wall in front of the oldest intentional womanizing brother.

They reached the garden where the tree was blooming with bright Sakura petals, Natasha taking a moment to breath in the sweet scent before she let it out with a pleased sigh, giving Kaname's inquiring look a smile as she scurried forward to the tree, setting her things in an organized pile before she kneeled onto one knee, lifting her hands in a director-screen motion to the base of the tree, squinting one eye shut as she tilted her head one way, adjusted her position, then nodded, hopping up just as Kaname reached her, setting the things down carefully before he was met with a pair of bright, hyper golden eyes. "Where would you like me?" he spoke first, seeing as she looked ready to burst into a cloud of glitter and sweets.

She hummed thoughtfully at him, lifting her hands as her face suddenly turned still, and slightly serious, fingers clasping below her chin as she frowned to him, "You're not ready to model for what I need, yet.." "Oh?" he repeated curiously, an eyebrow lifting up while he bit back a smile. She looked so cute.. "What's left for me to do..?"

"Mmm.." she made a strange hum in the back of her throat, his head tilting ever so slightly as she glared at his sash, a single one of her hands reaching up to tug playfully at the fabric as she spoke, tone cool and casual as he watched her like a hawk, eyes narrow and his expression taut. Was this intentional..?

"The scenes I need are of a fallen warrior against the base of a tree," she waved the inquiring hand in the air dismissively as she stepped back, turning to face the tree as she tapped her foot slowly, and he concluded, no; she was not aware of how appealing she was being.. "He is wounded, and covered in blood and sweat.. He will look up to the sky to the apparitions and aftermath of the battle," her hands waved slowly in the air to the space opposite of the tree, and he trailed his eyes along the open space, trying to imagine what she was seeing, though he supposed that was an impossible feat, "He sits there, dying, while reminiscing on the lives he had taken.. At that point, I'll be done with this scene, and I'll need a few shots at a table or counter.. Maybe a couch or something.." she trailed off quietly in thought for a few moments, before she sighed, shaking her head before she gave him a firm, pointed look. "I have but one question."

"What is it you need?" he smiled encouragingly, and she merely shrugged, lifting a hand to rub the back of her neck, "How opposed are you to taking off your shirt for this..?"

There was a sudden silence, and he blinked slowly at her, watching as her hands came up in slight defense, "The image has in a torn haori, so having your kimono pooled at your waist is fine.. I'm not asking you to be completely naked, but I suck at anatomy without direct visuals, and the internet sucks for stuff like that.."

"I'll help," he lifted his hands to grasp her shoulders firmly, her ramblings cutting off immediately as he smiled, "Just show me what to do."

Although, those could have been his last words… _meh_..


	30. Chapter 7: part 4

Natasha had her portable desk set out about ten meters from the tree, pencil scratching smoothly at her papers before her as she periodically tore her eyes from the surface to the tree. It had taken her ten minutes to get him into the exact position she needed him, but the results were worth it.

His body was sitting at the base of the tree, slouched just so so it would appear he had slid don it from exhaustion. His torso was bare, save for the necklaces she had insisted he keep on, so she would have an idea where to place the pendants… His head was thrown back ever so slightly, hair mussed enough to appear disheveled and unorderly. His arms were dead weight at his sides, one knee pulled up ever so slightly as if in preparation to stand, but his posture conveying his exhaustion. Wind ruffled the loose strands of blonde hair, his expression that of hopeless abandon.

It was perfect.

Natasha spent the next half hour sketching out three different copies, taking another fifteen minutes to finish all three before she stood up, lifting the flat surface with her as she caught his head lifting to focus on her, her hand, still trying to keep the table balanced, pointing at him awkwardly, though she looked serious, "You're perfect where you are- I'm just getting a different angle..!" He gave a subtle nod, before returning to the statue he had been, listening with an inner grin when she sighed in relief, before moving closer to his left side, about five feet out this time, as she began drawing a side view of his face, imagining the perspiration dripping down his face, the blood splatters that would paint his cheeks and neck, the chap of his lips.. The curve of his nose, a slight, tell-tale sign of swelling in the jaw..

Absolutely perfect..

It was only another half hour before she finished, sitting up with a relieved sigh before she grinned to him, "Done."

He stretched his arms and neck a bit to wake them up, smiling a bit at her as he sat up comfortably. His robes were still pooled around his waist, but he paid it no mind, tilting his head ever so slightly when she began shuffling papers around, before she turned her eyes up to meet his, not looking below them or even glancing at his chest. He was almost emotionally offended.. But her innocence made him want to giggle.. Why was she so cute..?

* * *

It was several weeks later, just a few days before the festival was to be held, and Natasha was making use of those three days they had been given freedom of classes to prepare, several boxes in her arms, a matching stack in Yusuke's arms as well as they shimmied through the hallways, struggling not to loose their balance or crash into the student littered hallways with supplies scattered far as the eye could see.

"Remind me again, why we have so many boxes.." Yusuke asked her after another feat of hopping correctly over a pile of miscellaneous things, "Last I checked we were on advertisement, not decor.." "Imai-san asked us to help out," Natasha scolded him lightly, though her irritation was becoming clear as well, "Though I would have to agree that if they did more work than flirting, then they'd have been done by now.."

"Oh, yeah," he muttered, his tone turning nostalgic, "We finished in the first few days, right?"

"Yeah," Natasha sighed, almost groaning as she scurried around a stack of paint cans, "I swear to Karma, this hallway is an accident waiting to happen.." Yusuke laughed lightly at her pessimism, though he silently agreed. They were nearly there, just another turn and a few rooms down.

"H-hey," he called suddenly, watching as she shuddered in her place for a moment, pausing to right her grip on the bottom box, "Aren't those heavy..?" "Nah, just awkward," she huffed, tilting her head towards him with a slight smile, "What about you, Yusuke..? We're almost there, but if you want to-" " _Uwah_ -?!" She saw, rather than heard, the upset of Yusuke's balance, the boxes in his shoulders shaking as he careened back sharply, then forward. She spun on her heel with a hop to get in front of him, in a stroke of luck lining the boxes up perfectly to take the impact with a dull thud. They stood nearly toe to toe as they struggled with the cargo in their arms, each of them pausing after the shock had faded to give each other strained smiled, Yusuke the first to cut the silence, "T-Thanks, but.." he glanced away toward the wall, before sapping his eyes back to her, "W.. What do we do now..?" "I.. I have no idea.."Natasha cracked first, bursting into a fit of giggles as her shoulders shook in mirth. Yusuke grinned as he laughed along with her, his expression lighter now that she'd cut the tension with a sword, the air much easier to breath and a lot more warm. As they stood there, snorting and wheezing like imbeciles, they were unaware of the pair of honey brown eyes watching from the hallway corner not fifteen feet away.

"Tch.."

* * *

Natasha stretched her arms high above her head as she stood outside the elevator, Yusuke was once again staying after, this time for a cram session with one of their classmates.. She had offered to be his sensei for a while, but was immediately shot down.. His blunt reasoning being that he'd never be able to focus. The arrow to her soul on that one stung a little.. Ah, well… The elevator doors slid open as she yawned, her hand fluttering over her mouth in an attempt to cover it before she peaked her tired eyes into the contraption, brief surprise in her eyes before she smiled, "Azu-chan-!" she greeted brightly, pushing her exhaustion away with a smile, "You're heading out?"

"Huh?" He looked up from his daze in surprise, before he gave her a slight smile, "Yeah.." He exit the elevator casually, but the stiffness in his shoulders did not fade, nor did the creases at his eyes.. Was he even sleeping..? "They've apparently finished the final copy of the script for that anime, so I'm going to pick it up." Natasha pushed the forefront worry out of her mind, knowing she had to be subtle about the concern until he actually collapsed..

Sometimes it sucked trying to follow a plot line..

Damn Arrow..

"That's great," Natasha trained her face into a pleased smile. He grunted softly after a second, his hand coming up to his head and touching his temple gently, as if trying to will away pain. "Ngh.."

"What's the matter?" she let some of her worry show, but not all of it, keeping herself in check as she clenched her hands at her side. Suddenly reaching forward to touch his face, even to check a temperature, could make something like that in a condition much worse.

"No," he reassured her calmly, his raven strands of hair falling into his eyes, brushing against his glasses tauntingly as he breathed slowly in, and out, "it's nothing.." As if catching his second wind, he lowered his hand, his face nw filled with a resolve she was almost frightened to admit looked intense, "I have to give this project my all, for Tsubaki's sake as well."

"Just.." Natasha trailed of lightly, his head tilting a little as she shuffled her feet, face flushing petal pink as she grimaced toward the elevator, her tone gravelly and low, "Promise if you give it your all, you'll stop there, and not push it too far past that limit.." He blinked at her once, twice, before he smiled, his hand lifting in silence before it found itself in the strands of her messy white hair, his expression much warmer now, as she looked up to him in tense surprise, "Promise."

"Well," she huffed, folding her arms over her chest with a click of her tongue when he decided to finally back off, his face still teasing, "Good luck, then.."

"Huh," he chuckled, smiling as he nodded, despite her mortified pout, "Thank you."

Natasha yawned again, her jaw popping with the strain as she waited for the elevator to go onto the fifth floor. She had to swing by her room later to get the new recipe books, but since she'd already made her way to the living room balcony, she felt he first wave of exhaustion sink into the back of her eyes. Her insomnia was wearing off, and fast.. If she didn't get to a stable surface..

"Another long day, Chii?" a voice called out, and she lowered her hand from her mouth, watching Juli scurry across the railing of the balcony, his tail puffed up behind him as he eyed her with faint concern. Instead of answering, she stumbled forward, pitching herself onto the couch and leaning back with a soft groan. "Since the rest of the class is a bunch of slackers, Yusuke and I are stuck helping them out with their crunch times.. Lazy asses..."

Juli hopped onto the seat beside her, his tone turning firm, "You have entrance exams to study for, too.. So don't push yourself too hard.." "Don't worry.." Natasha yawned, sparing him a small glance, "My insomnia will kick back in in a few days.." "That isn't a good thing-" he started to lecture her, but as she pitched to her side along the couch, he tensed, hissing in surprise at her move as she gave a soft moan. "Chii-!" he called, hopping over to her shoulder, leaning close to her face, "Hey, Chii-! If you're going to sleep, go do it in your room-! ..And-!.." He trailed off for a moment, his countenance failing as he grumbled to himself, before sitting up straighter, pumping his squirrel fist in an effort to hype himself up, "I swear, she's hopeless.. I'll just have to guard her until she wakes up..!" He had only a moment to brace himself as he snapped his eyes over to the door before he was stuffed into a large, purple bag, a decorative golden star pattern decorating the outside as he screamed for his mistress. After a few minutes, when it was clear she was either gone or completely dead to the world, though he suspected the later, he settled for silently trying to open it from the inside, taking care not to use all of his oxygen..

* * *

Natasha yawned as she snuggled into the firm, yet comfy surface beneath her, wisps of her dream clinging to her mind as she hummed in pleasure.. She was being spoonfed oreo fluff by one of her Original Characters.. Ashe.. she believed, if his long, inky black hair was anything to go by.. And those dry-blood shade of red eyes, pale skin and long, lean frame. He was in his black tailcoat butler's garb, as she had created him to wear more often than not, though his sleeves were rolled to his elbows. Simon, another of her OC's, was massaging her shoulders from behind her, leaning over the back of the lilac colored princess chaise to tug skillfully at her neck and shoulders. Her feet were receiving a similar treatment from Nathaniel, the last of one of her main, male OC's.. She had many more.. Enough to fill up a fictional world, she supposed, but these were the three most consistent in her mind. They stuck out the most..

Food dreams were _fucking_ amazing..

"Mmmmmm.." she moaned around another bite of the sweet treat, her eyes nearly tearing at the beautiful sweetness as Ashe pulled a crisp white handkerchief from his coat pocket, flicking it out skillfully so as to be able to dab at the corner of her mouth. "Ashe.. you're the love of my life.. Please tell me you have my favorite chicken salad…"

He seemed to pull a shining silver tray out of nowhere, and she nearly burst into tears of joy as he pulled the lid away, showing her the diced chicken, mayonnaise and lettuce made-god that was Ashe's casserole. "Ashe.. MARRY ME-!" She nearly screamed as she leaped forward, Ashe falling on his back as she straddled him, nuzzling his collarbone with a look of absolute adoration on her face.

"I will have to politely decline," he spoke monotonously, and the two males watching on stared on in blank acceptance to his lack of emotional personality. "It would only tarnish my Lady's reputation to consort with a servant."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you..?" Natasha felt conscious of the words that fell from her parted lips, but she strangely felt something different than muscle and silk beneath her, rather, it was tougher- leather, maybe..? Ashe didn't wear leather..

"Hmmmm..?" Natasha murmured, her eyes pinching tightly closed, as she felt leather against her cheek, something wrapped around her torso, and a burning sensation against her face.. As if she were being watched...

Her eyelids fluttered lightly, willing the burning to go away, but after another few relentless moments, she caved, cracking open her eyes in a weak glare as she forced the blur of her current reality to fade, and sharpen, revealing a head of moppy red hair, and deep chocolate pools.. She internally whistled, from high pitched, to fading low, eyes widening ever so slightly as she took in the situation..

Not a bad way to wake up… Hot _damn_ …

It took her a few seconds to gather her bearings, before her more rational thought process kicked in, and she sat up with a startled yelp, sending the seriously close red head into surprise as he fell back onto his rear with a jolt, looking at her in equal parts fear and awe. "S-Sorry-!" he yelped, looking more flustered and embarrassed than she did, which was kind of hard, since she had her neck and ear tips stained pink, with everything else between a similar shade. He quickly scrambled to his feet in a flash, standing just a few feet away with his head tucked down and his eyes slanted to the right, his voice sort of strained, but apologetic none the less, "I woke you, didn't I? Sorry.." "N-.. No problem.." she murmured, flinching a little as she sat up straighter, the blanket pooling at her waist as she sat curled on the balcony couch, rubbing a hand into the back of her neck where a crick was sure to find itself later.. What she wouldn't give to have Simon's ministrations be real.. Wait a second-.. _Could she_ "Create" people..? Would it use up her energy like a car would- well, to be completely honest, she would suspect something like that would knock her out for at least a few days..

"Sooo.." she trailed off idly, forcing the thought to the back of her mind, into the room she had locked the dark whispers into- upon briefly opening it, she had heard a roar of protest, but as it was swiftly shut and locked once more, it was silent. She'd save that for her alone time. "What were you doing…?" "O-Oh," he choked, his eyes darting around the balcony and avoiding her at all costs, she almost smiled at his bashfulness, but the scene was a bit hazy in her mind, so she was rolling with it for now, listening to him stutter and try to weasel his way out of the conversation. "Well-.. I-I mean- That is…" He hesitated a moment, his shoulders tense, before he met her eyes, though she was casually sitting at the couch, she didn't feel the strength in her legs to be able to get up, yet.. They were tucked at her side carefully, the blanket entwined around her legs and hips as she folded her arms over her chest, watching him expectantly.

"Well," he started lightly, then gathered his resolve, "I didn't want you to catch a cold, so.. You know.." A smile spread across her lips after a moment, and he caught his breath as it pulled into a grin. "Thank you very much," she nodded her head to him slightly, before she tugged the blanket up to be around her shoulders, hugging it closer to her body as she basked in the warmth, "I really hate being cold, so it was a really nice gesture.." she paused for a moment, before tilting her head up at him with a curious smile, "So, when did you get back..?"

"J-Just now," he was quick to answer, but doubt clouded his eyes as he adjusted his stance, eyebrows furrowing as he brought a hand to his temple, now almost sounding confused, "Maybe a minute or two, ago.. I think.?. Probably..." He looked off in embarrassment, while she furrowed her eyebrows in concern. He wasn't usually this quiet or fidgety. She opened her mouth to say something, but a new voice cut in, and she internally sawed off her ears, face going dark as both teens eyes snapped to the adjacent hallway to the stairwell.

"He's lying."

The one and only Asahina Futo, popstar and idol, started to exit the hallway onto the balcony to join his siblings, his smile condescending, while his eyes were narrowed with something dark and unpleasant Natasha seriously didn't want to know the name of.. "You were watching her the whole time.."

"Futo-kun," Natasha greeted cool, her tone polite as she felt her emotions skirt around the words.. Conversations with that kind never ended well. Yusuke stuttered out his brothers name, but it sounded more like a warning than anything else.

Futo stopped about ten feet away from them, his hands braced on the railing that separated the elongated balcony from the stairwell to the third floor. "You were watching her for about ten minutes, weren't you?" Yusuke seemed to choke on his voice, balling his fists defensively as he faced his brother head on, eyes narrowed, "I-I wasn't really-!" Futo cut him off before he could continue, his voice smooth and teasingly bordering on reprimanding. "But in this case, I think it's your fault, Onee-chan.." "Pardon?" she muttered, eyes narrowing towards him dangerously while she kept her face cool. This kid was _seriously_ asking her to free a _very_ temperamental beast, right now.. She was exhausted, hungry.. And she did _not_ need _his_ face _anywhere near her within two hours of waking up.._

"I mean," Futo continued smugly, eyes lightly shut as he stood straighter, as if he were superior to the stunned, older teens, "It was bold of you to sleep out in the open in such a common area.." He raised his eyes at her suddenly, his smile full of nothing but ill will as he spoke, his voice hinting at surprise, as if he were just realizing something, "Or could it be.. That you were doing it on purpose..?"

"Now listen here you little.." she started to growl her words, but he had cut her off, his voice louder and more firm, "Maybe it's no surprise this idiot tried to take advantage of you." "What-? The hell are you saying-?!" Yusuke snapped, his teeth practically bared as he held himself back from putting the brat in a headlock, the ire practically rolling off of him in waves. Natasha stood silently during their little stare down while Futo spoke, keeping quiet as if waiting for a que.

"Oh?" Futo smiled to his brother, but there was nothing charming about it, "What are you taking this so seriously for?" Natasha waited, teeth grinding as she held herself back.

"Could it be that I was actually.. Right?"

 _And._.. she snapped… While she began rolling up her sleeves, Yusuke had stiffened, his voice suddenly firm and unwavering, nothing like the fidgety mess he'd been in upon her waking, this time, he looked serious, and insulted. "You better take that back.. Or I'll never forgive you..!" Natasha flexed each hand individually in silence cracking each knuckle one at a time in preparation for her delivery.

"You won't forgive me?" Futo chuckled, as if his brother had made a stupid, yet sadly funny joke, "Wait, like you have the guts to do anything about it..?" "Why you little-" Yusuke startled, but Natasha had stepped forward just as he'd grasped Futo's collar, pushing the two sharply away from one another with a hand in the fabric of each of their shirts, her arms short, but spread wide enough that she could comfortable stand between the two with a murderous aura, her voice low, and deadly as she spoke, "Don't you _dare_ insult your brother like that, _brat_.." she hissed the last word to Futo, before turning to Yusuke, her eyes hard, "And you-!" he flinched a little at her sudden display of dominance, swallowing at her reprimanding look, "Why do you let him rile you up, huh?! You know he's just trying to piss you off-!"

"He started it-!" Yusuke started to speak, but as Natasha heard Futo's dry chuckle, she shook the idol's collar once, strong and sharp, to shut him up, nearly sending him off kilter to the floor at the sharp disruption of balance, her tone back to being cold and sharp, and she turned her head swiftly in the other direction to glare up at him, as well, "You need to seriously stop being such a _dick_ , Futo-! I'm up to here with this _bullshit_ and I am _done_ getting involved between the two of you-! You're _brothers_ -! So for fucks sake _start acting like it_ -!"

She let go of them sharply, before she bent over to grab the blanket, huffing as she started to fold it into a neat stack. "Natasha-! He was saying such awful things to you-" Yusuke started to apologize, and she turned to give him the polite audience, before a new voice cut in, somewhat irritably and short on fuse. A silver head of hair was ascending the stairs, and Natasha had never been more relieved of Tsubaki's timing.

"Talk about noisy," Tsubaki padded over to them with a huff, his eyes scornful as he looked the boys over, "Do me a favor and shut up will you?" He was clearly short on fuel, but Natasha couldn't help but give him a smile, which he promptly noticed, before turning back to the boys, who had begun to plead their cases. "Futo was being-" Yusuke had started, but a look from Tsubaki and a quick tongue shut him up.

"Yusuke," Tsubaki narrowed his eyes at him firmly, before folding his arms across his chest, "don't make me repeat myself again.. I'm tired.." Natasha furrowed her eyebrows as she noted that he was, indeed, walking on fumes, before she clenched the blanket in her fingers, listening to him continue with a slight pause. "If you two are going to keep up with that racket, take it outside.."

Natasha shifted her weight to her hip as she sighed in relief, listening to Futo's mumbled curse of annoyance. Yusuke turned to her slightly, and he gave her a strained, apologetic smile. "What Futo said earlier was all a lie, alright..?" "I know better than to believe an aspiring actor," Natasha gave him a slight smirk, before nodding, moving past him to stand near Tsubaki, much to the silver's surprise as she flicked the blanket up, and out, pulling it around his shoulders and securing it into a loose knot, while he watched her with wide, eyes, and his body still as stone. "You're tired, right?" Natasha tilted her head a little, giving him a grateful smile, "Thanks for stepping in.."

Tsubaki hummed a little a her sudden shift in mood, giving her a wary smile, since he looked ready to collapse at any moment, "No worries, Imouto-chan.. Whatever they try to pull, just call for me and I'll break it up.." "I didn't do anything-!" Yusuke started to defend himself again, this time with a bit of a whine in his voice, his irritation creeping back up. Futo just sighed, done with it all as he threw his arms back behind his head, closing his eyes with a disappointed hum, "This is the problem with idiots who can't even take a joke.." Yusuke choked, but Futo continued without pause, "But I guess she trusts you more than I thought.." "More than you, that's for damned sure," Natasha turned her head to snap the words at him, before turning back to Tsubaki, his violet eyes watching her in surprise as she openly stood up for herself in front of the younger male.

"What was that?!" Yusuke called out, annoyed, as Futo turned, and walked away. Natasha glared lightly at his back as he left, but she kept her composure, giving Tsubaki a few once-overs to make sure he wasn't about to collapse to the ground. She'd carry him if need be, but.. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to salvage his pride, afterwards.

"Don't listen to every little thing he says," Tsubaki called to Yusuke, but the way his eyes had met hers, she was almost tempted to say otherwise, "Sheesh," he sighed, tilting his head down as he pulled the blanket around his shoulders, tightly, "how does a twisted guy like him make it on TV? I don't get it at all."

"Do you want to know why?" Futo called from up the hall, and Natasha tensed, sending a nearly feral look over Tsubaki's shoulder to the brat as she heard his next sentence.

"It's because I play whatever role they want me to play. My commitment is on a completely different level than some flighty-"

"Shut it-!" Natasha was whipping him around in the next second, her footfalls silent on the wood. At his shocked expression, he stood watching as her face contorted with absolute rage, her finger poking sharply into his chest as he took a single step back, then another, with each of her sharp jabs, her words dripping like poison as she forced him further into the hall.

"What the hell gives you the right to dis not only Yusuke- but Tsubaki as well-!" Irritation flooded her eyes, but he couldn't form the words to retaliate as he flinched, more steps stumbling back as she continued to advance on him, her voice raising louder, "I can understand your beef with me-! But you do _not_ have the right to treat them like that-! They are _your brothers_ -! Your _family_ -! If I catch you saying one more _damnable_ thing towards _anyone,_ I have **_no issues_** in serving you a _due punishment_ -!" By the time she had finished, he was backed up against his door, his back pressing deeply into the wood as she stood in front of him, short but fierce, before she gave a final, sharp hiss, and turned on her heal, marching out of the hall again before she returned to the others, who had stood, stock still and stunned, as they watched the white haired female return with a grumble and a groan, rubbing at her temples before she tossed them an easy, disarming smile.

"Sorry I snapped," she chuckled after a few moments, their eyes wide as they continued to stare, "My stress level has been adding up.. And while I know that is no excuse for my actions, I was at my limit with Futo's ridicule.." She bowed deeply at the waist to the two boys, her eyes shutting politely at their grunts of surprise. "I am very sorry. Please forgive me."

"Don't worry about it," Tsubaki said after a moment, walking up to her and slinging an arm around her shoulders as she stood up, pulling her into a tight, one armed hug before he pecked her forehead, dismissing himself. "I should go to bed." "You go do that," her tone was oddly serious as she glared at him, her face stern, "I don't want you getting sick, Aniki. Please remember that sleep is not optional." He laughed at her for a moment, before he nodded, patting her head before he disappeared into the hallway. Natasha yawned slightly as she looked over to Yusuke, who was sulking in place as he glanced around the room. "I might just hit the hay early," Natasha sighed, moving to pat his shoulder as she passed him, her smile warm as he looked down at her from the corner of his eyes, "You get some good sleep, too, ne, aniki?" The bag suddenly was ripped open, and the squirrel came soaring out, hissing outrageously at everything that wasn't the female.

"Juli," Natasha sighed, shaking her head as she picked up the small mammal, "How in the world did you wind up in there- No- better yet, why were you in there in the first place?" His face flushed sharply at her comment as she yawned, turning to go down the hallway until she finally disappeared from view.

Yusuke swallowed in silence, rubbing the back of his neck as he replayed the final moments of her nap in his mind.

 _Mmmmmm.. Love… Please…_

 _M-Marry... me..._

 _Have I ever told you how much I love you..?_

Her comments had left him flushed and surprised at her sleep talk, curiouser and curiouser about _who_ she was precisely imagining..

Possibilities crossed his mind, most of which made him seethe in unjustified jealousy, but one of which sent his blood boiling, and warmth beating in his chest to adjust ever so slightly to a quicker speed. _He was seriously starting to get pathetic..._


	31. Chapter 7: part 5

It was finally time. The day of the festival was here, and Natasha was _so_ not looking forward to this crap.. The only thing she remembered from the episode was the fact she was going to need to be stuffed in a skirt..

 _She was **so**_ not _looking forward to this..._

She dressed nearly an hour later, having run down to make the bentos for the day, before returning to get her uniform. As she finally came back down, she was surprised to see breakfast already laid out, and a note against one of the bowls set out.

She reached out a hand to pluck the piece of paper from its perch, bringing it to her face as she absently leaned against the wall.

 _Dear Natasha,_

 _Yusuke has set off early to assist in the preparations with the festival for today, however, he had assisted me in preparing breakfast for his parting. We have already eaten, but please help yourself._

 _Ukyo_

 _PS Thank you for the bento, they provide my firm with endless amusement. :)_

She folded the note in her hand before tucking it into her pocket, smiling slightly as she moved to dish out her food. Once she had set everything out, along with a glass of milk, she sat herself at the table with a sigh. She was tired, today, so her eyes were slightly droopy.. But, if worse came to worse, the exhaustion may help her for her future scheme.. She had a plan…

A plan that was currently wrapped in a package and sitting in her bag… But a plan nonetheless…

She was nibbling at her breakfast, not at all in the mood to rush. She still had a half hour before the train came, and it was only a four minute walk. She heard a creak off to the side, turning her head to look at the stairs as she smiled, seeing a familiar raven come into view. "Good morning, Azu-chan-!" Natasha called out brighty, her expression snapping back into concern as she caught sight of his complexion. He was pale, but he had a light sweat on his neck and forehead. His hair was groomed appropriately, but there was a messy-after effect- something only achieved with half awareness. Frankly- he looked ready to keel over.

"Morning," he sent her a smile, but the lines around her eyes gave her a hint that it was strained, though he tried to play it off, using his hand as leverage as he casually scaled his way down the stairs, as if in preparation for a sudden rockslide. "You're up early.." She schooled her expression into oblivious joy, her voice calm, but still sounding pleased as she played off her worry. "Today's the day of the culture festival. Yusuke already left so he could get fit for a penguin suit."

"It's rare for Yusuke to get up early," Azuza joked playfully, padding forward across the floor to reach the table, his hand subconsciously reaching forward to grasp the chair, while his outward signs fought to leave her clueless. Too bad she wasn't buying that BS..

"Are you heading out, too?" Natasha asked politely, getting to her feet a moment later with a grin, "I'll go get your breakfast, you sit and relax-" "No, please," he lifted a hand in polite decline, his voice softer as he gave her a smile, "I'm not really hungry, anyways.."

"Are you sick?" her voice was casual, but he couldn't see her face, his eyes closed as he held a hand to his face as he gave a rueful smile. "Yeah.. I've been getting bad headaches lately for some reason.."

He looked up sharply at her next words, her voice had a sharper, underlying edge to it that had him pausing, the polite, happy expression on her face cracking just enough to show a steely blade of worry and intimidation. "Are you alright, Azuza?" She rarely used his full name anymore, but with the tone she had used with it, he was hesitant to reply, but he replied nonetheless. "Yes, I'm fine.. But I need to leave soon.." He turned his torso a little towards the exit, but she could see the wobble of his spine as he forcibly instructed each foot to move accordingly.

His first step was a miscalculation, so as he stumbled, hunched over, a pair of lean, pale arms caught his arm, his other hand gripping the chair for support as he breathed heavily, in and out. "Baka," He listened to a sharp 'tsk' from over his shoulder, his eyes slipping shut as he battled a sudden wave of nausea. "I told you not to push yourself, and what did you do..? You took a mother-fucking leap past that border, didn't you.." The quiet rant was barely audible above her breath, but he didn't have the energy to fight it, rather trying to focus on getting to where he needed to be, struggling to stand while the arms around him did the majority for his balance. "I'm sorry," he panted softly, his eyes fluttering between open and closed, "I just.. Felt a little dizzy.." "Dizzy my ass-!" her voice was of appropriate conversation volume, this time, and he had a hard time restraining himself to see the look on her face, "You're sick- for christ's sake-! I told you, Azuza-! _Specifically ordered you_ to refrain from overworking yourself-! And what do you do-?!"

"Thank you for worrying about me," he rasped, trying to force a chuckle into her words as she moved to his side, rather than his back, her hands keeping his torso in place by his shoulders. "But there's a recording session today.. I can't just take the day off.." "Oh, yes you can," Natasha seethed, her face turning grim, "-you can and you will-!" He seemed to be ignoring her, because as he moved to stand up straighter, he completely lost all hold of balance, falling forward with Natasha still clinging to his arm. He turned, mid air, with a twist of his leg, most likely to break the fall with his back, though the resulting position had her sprawled out across his torso in an anything but refined way. Natasha grunted in surprise as the impact stole her breath, forcing herself up the first moment she could before she hovered over him, gritting her teeth. "Azuza-?!"

Though her tone sounded absolutely pissed, her face was clearly concerned. Her fingers found the tie of his shirt, immediately pulling it apart and undoing the top buttons of his shirt. He didn't need anything constricting his breathing. She did a quick run-through of his condition, now that she had the right to, and nearly roaring in absolute rage. He had a fever, his sinuses were draining, his lungs were weak, not to mention nausea, if his breath spoke anything, and clear exhaustion. He looked like a fucking corpse.. "God damnit," she ranted aloud, rolling up her sleeves before she cracked her knuckles, "If I have to carry your ass to a hospital, Azuza, so help me god, I will.."

"Well that's bold of you.."

The deep voice cut into her lowered grumblings as she'd been completely pulling off his tie, woving to wrap it around her wrist for later before she looked up to the stairwell with a start. A dark orange haired male stood there in a casual grey suit, the button up beneath it a pure black and the proper tie a wine red. "Trying to jump Azuza first thing in the morning..? You're quite the go-getter.." "H.. Hikaru..?" she tried after a few moments of surprise, before regaining her bearings and giving him an annoyed look, though it was less intense than if it were Futo, "Look, I'm not doing any funny business, just get a hospital on the line, or something-!" She didn't have the patience for his little chart.

He looked immediately concerned, all teasing mirth on his face disappearing as he watched her check his brothers pulse. "How long has he been like this..?"

"First signs appeared a week or so ago," Natasha spoke monotone as she began checking all of his vitals, his eyes, temperature, pulse and awareness. He was pretty much on the cusp of passing out. "He's sweating, has a fever, and is suffering from exhaustion, nausea, and slight malnourishment." "We need to get him some time off, now," Hikaru concluded after a moment's pause, having moved to be on his knees at the floor in front of her. He looked down at Azuza with concern, and Natasha refrained from sighing, instead giving him a pointed look, "Then _you_ can tell the mule that he's not going to work. I'll carry his ass to a hospital if need be, but I'd rather not have to be forced to restrain him." "Hikaru-nii-san.." Azuza murmured, briefly looking up to the redhead before sitting up. Natasha wanted to growl, but kept herself in check.

"I can't.." Auza's voice was hoarse, but he tried his best to sound firm. "I can't possibly take time off.." Hikaru was much less reserved about his internal opinion than Natasha was. "There's no way you can put on a proper performance in your condition." His voice turned hard at this, "If it's a project you care about, that's all the more reason." Azuza had a look of such pain at Hikaru's words, but Hikaru wasn't speaking to reassure him, quite the opposite, actually.. "What do you think you're doing if you go in when you're not at your best?" Natasha rocked back on her heels as she flicked out her phone, tuning out the boys' conversation as she first texted Natsume, alerting him of the problem, sending a similar one, with less angry tickmark emojis, to Masaomi and Ukyo.

 _Azuza is having a health related issue due to overwork, but the emergency is not dire. We will inform you of updates on the situation as they arise. Please enjoy your day. -N_

Natsume was, without fail, the first to respond.

 _Pumpkin: What happened?_

Natasha scoffed a little, but replied, listening to the two bicker.

 _Me: He's physically exhausted. He's been pushing himself at work, he just needs rest, but we're going to be checking in on him every so often._

Natasha waited only three seconds before a reply came.

 _Pumpkin: Thank you, Natasha._

 _Me: Hey we're family, you should expect my extreme brash behavior by now.._

 _Pumpkin: Do I want to know?_

 _Me: I'm tempted to throw him over my shoulder and carry his stubborn ass to the hospital. It's not a physical issue._

 _Pumpkin: Remind me never to oppose you.._

 _Me: It is not a wise decision. ;)_

"Let's go," Natasha flipped the phone shut, just after Azuza had finally submit to Hikaru's will. "I can drop you off at school by the way," Hikaru offered once they'd gotten Auza to stay inside his room, a thick blanket over him and a cooling cloth on his forehead. Natasha grimaced a little at the gesture, giving him a pointed look, "I would say yes if the prime destination wasn't _interrogation_.. I think Azuza's help is a little more important than my track record.."

"I'll interrogate you after, then?" Hikaru prodded, and although his tone was teasing, there was an undercurrent of something deeper beneath it. Natasha listened to Azuza's slow, controlled breathing, before she gave him a look, "This is not going to turn out well for him.. He's going to wind up in the hospital.." "You don't think it'll just be a check-up?" Hikaru sounded slightly skeptical, so she verified, her bored eyes turning to look out the semi-reflective window of the hallway. "Trust me, if and when he goes, he'll be there for a while.. We might as well bring him some clothes and entertainment when we take him.." "Training to be a doctor?" Hikaru's tone was prodding, amused, but she could hear the undertones of curiosity. "No," she smirked, a full blown, satisfied smirk, before she sent him a slight wink, "Just.. _observant_.."

* * *

Natasha had practically hit the ground running once she'd gotten to school, Hikaru having given her a note with a family emergency for a pardon. She'd barely called out her thanks to her older brother before she was darting past the big pink, Hinode Festival sign at the entrance and booking it for the office. Ten minutes later than she'd liked, she'd gotten an excused lateness pass from the office, and started running for her classroom. She felt a faint buzz in her pocket, a sign of her phone, but she dared not check it now.. Almost there-!

Her heels made loud screeching sounds as she slid to a stop at the end of the hallway, panting hard and heavy as she doubled over in front of the classroom, a handful of her classmates poking their heads out in shock and surprise as they watched the girl fall to her knees weakly, panting from her sprint. "Hinata-san?" one of the girls asked carefully, her tone hesitant, "Are you okay?" "Aa-Aah-!" Natasha lifted her head with a grin, giving them a weak peace sign before she reached out a steadying hand for the door, "I'm.. I'm good.. Just.. had to run…"

"Natasha?"

Natasha turned her head up to look through the door as the rest of the students dispersed to finish the last minute details. Imai stood there, with a box, and a bundle of fabric in her arms, looking anxious, but not slightly relieved. "Thank goodness.. For a minute there I thought you weren't going to show up.."

"Family emergency," Natasha puffed, standing up straighter as she rummaged around in her bag. Imai began talking, her peppy voice cutting through the silverette subconscious, "Well, it's a good thing you did show. We would have been one short, and even though it doesn't seem like much, the rest of us would have been swamped- with that said- Here-!" Natasha looked up just as the box was held out to her, and she resisted the urge to vomit. "It's your costume-!" the blonde chirped. "A.. maid costume..?" Natasha clarified slowly, stepping back and out of the way as a male from her class stepped out, specifically Sasakura-san, a sign over his shoulder that Yusuke had designed with her. It was black and gold, reading Butler and Maid Cafe. As if sensing her confusion, the male raised an eyebrow, piping into the conversation casually, though he was internally sulking.

"Oh, it's been turned into a butler and maid cafe.. Didn't anyone tell you, Hinata-san?" "No," Natasha deadpanned, pulling a bundle of black and purple cloth from her bag and holding it out, "I assumed it was a butler cafe.. But I came prepared.." "I'm really sorry," Imai gushed, though Natasha was secretly suspecting that she wasn't so sorry about the mix-up, it was her mischievous aura. "We decided it last night.. But I couldn't get a hold of you.."

"I tend not to give strangers my number," Natasha begrudgingly agreed, shaking her head with a sigh. The guy rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed about the change as well. No doubt they had to alter every single advertisement Yusuke had copied for her. Shame.

"The good-looking guys in our class suddenly started talking about having other club commitments and stuff.." he huffed, clearly unhappy about the guys ditching, but Natasha wanted to barf… "We came up short on staff.. So we made a game day decision to change things.." "At least you kept our designs," Natasha chuckled weakly, not looking forward to the following day at all, "Yusuke and I worked really hard on those.." As if summoned, Natasha's ears perked up at the new, but familiar voice, peaking in the open doorway with her hand automatically pulling the phone from her pocket, camera up at the sound of her red-headed step brother.

"D-Does this look okay..?"

 _Oh my god_ … she internally whispered, as they boy stepped aside, revealing a cleaned-up, pant-pressed, tux wearing male with blood red hair and deep chocolate eyes… _Holy mother of Christ_...

The locked door in her subconscious seemed to break, because her mind was once again flooded with fervent, dark whispers, the warmth behind them filled with fury, at being contained, surprise at the situation, and immediate amusement and savagery.

 **YOWZA-!**

"Woooowwww.." Natasha coughed, her eyes trailing up from his shiny black shoes to his hair, that he had styled to the exact way she had done to him not a month earlier. He was dressed like a late eighteenth century butler, with a black coat, black slacks, a white undershirt, a grey vest, and a plum purple tie. Never had she wanted to drool so badly. _Holy hell…_

"Hey-!" the Sasakura looked back into the room with a grin, "that's better than I expected-!"

"Better than expected..?" Yusuke repeated, clearly uncomfortable, but too stubborn to complain about it, "What's that supposed to mean?" he paused a moment, his eyes finding Natasha with hesitation, "Does it look weird..?" Natasha blinked slowly, raising her phone up in silence and snapping several dozen photo's of his suddenly red face. "O-Oi-?! What the hell Natasha-?!"

"You look awesome-!" Natasha bounced into the room quickly, hopping around him quickly to get different angles, though he was jerky and hesitant about the energetic female. Wasn't she just winded..? "Oh-! Oh-!" She waved her arms quickly for his attention, waiting a moment for him to find her eyes before she flashed him a grin, "Put a hand over your heart and get on one knee, then say 'Yes my lord.'.." "Why..?" he murmured, tilting his head a little as she groaned, rolling her eyes before she demonstrated, sweeping her leg behind her and bowing her head, a fist over her heart as she gazed almost lovingly at his shoes.

"Yes.. My Lord.." she did her best Sebastian impersonation, and the sudden quiet was filed with awkward chuckles and sweatdrops. "Ooh.." Imai murmured, blinking as Natasha stood up with a smile to Yusuke, flashing him a double peace sign, "But seriously, you look awesome-! I'd call you eye-candy, but that would be weird coming out of my mouth.."

He paused a little at that, pivoting on his heel so he could face a new direction, hiding the beaming smile from the rest of the room as he silently commended himself.

"In spite of everything," Imai commented casually, looking him over with approval, "You don't share Asakura Futo's blood for nothing.." "Hey now.." Yusuke was immediately pulled down from the high, so Natasha stepped in to avoid the conflict, "Well look at the time~!"

Natasha tilted her head a little at the shift in his aura, patting his shoulder as she passed him so she could head towards the door once more, "I'll go get changed. _Bye-Bye_ ~!" she sang the last part teasingly, before she skipped her way to the green curtain in the back of the room.

 _It was play time…_

* * *

Silver eyes slid to his right, catching sight first of the bright blue suit, followed by the hombre hair.


	32. Chapter 7: part 6

_"I hope to see you soon, Hime-sama.."_

 _"Ojou-sama.. Your afternoon tea and cakes are waiting for you.."_

 _"I'd really wish you would return home soon, My Lady.."_

Girlish squeals filled the air around her as she lifted from her polite bow, letting the hand she had kissed dart back to a young woman's chest, the clearly visiting female as red as a ripe strawberry and flushing at the praise as nearly two dozen other girls swarmed around the butler, squealing at the princely, but clearly respective aura as the short male looked around them with sweet, imploring golden eyes. All at once their cries seemed to sync in a harmonious 'Kya~!', and Natasha took a moment to hand out a good portion of the fliers, before giving a bow, dismissing herself from the mistresses before slipping out, in a miracle, without being followed. The announcement that the festival was to officially start was coming soon, but there were also the handfuls of people who had come early to loiter and watch preparations.

Natasha had returned to the school to get more fliers from the classroom. She'd been gone for nearly twenty minutes, but she wasn't even close to done gathering hype. She passed by swarms of people in the hall cleaning up the last of the random piles of mess and crap, grinning as she dodged the bustling students, bowing dramatically to those who paused to stare and giggle about her outfit. Most didn't seem to realized she was female.. Oh well~ That would help her out in the long run. The announcer cut into her exchange with a smaller group of girls in the hall, they were students' but the were gawking over her costume and tittering things along the line of 'Eek~! He looks so handsome~!' or 'I'll definitely buy a cake if _you're_ serving~!'

All in all, a pretty good round.

She was nearly halfway to her classroom when she heard a low, familiar voice behind her, pausing instantly as a faint memory flashed in her mind.. Something about a vampire..?

"I spy with my little eye, a cute little servant.."

"Huh..?" Natasha spun on her left heel to face behind her, squinting her eyes a little at the cloak-wearing male that was clearly flaunting his body against the threshold of his classroom.. A little too suggestively for her taste.. He caught her wandering eyes, her obvious judgement for the choice of outfit ridiculously misinterpreted as he smirked, flashing a pair of fangs. "Oh?" he nearly purred, his eyes lidded lazily as he shamelessly looked her up and down, nearly grinning at the fact she'd managed to hide her breasts beneath _that._. "Do I look _that_ incredible, _onee-chan_..?"

 _You look like Twilight puked all over you and mopped you back up with Breaking Dawn.. She inwardly groaned as she bit back the insult... Last I checked, little boys didn't prance around in costumes like that unless they questioned their sexuality.._

"Ngh," Natasha muttered, halfhearted, and disinterested. Futo, however, took her silence as a prompt to continue speaking, much to her dismay. "Didn't you recognize me..?" He straightened out slightly, but kept his forearm against the door, "..Or did I take your breath away and bewitch you.." "Save the lines for the fan squad," Natasha cackled outright at his remark, shoulders shaking as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. _What the hell was up with this kid?! Was he trying to be a big-boy? Did he even understand the term pedophilia? What about Incest? Oh-oh-! Or narcissism_ ~! "Oh, can it, Futo.. Why are you wearing that..?" she rolled her eyes a little as she relaxed her shoulders, almost completely ignoring the fact that he took a few good steps to get closer to her, smiling in that cocky manner of his casually as he answered. "This is for a photo collection.."

She raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him, so he continued, "The theme of my next photo collection, which is coming out soon, is my real day-to-day life. So it's going to include photos from the Cultural Festival."

"Day to day life.." Natasha repeated slowly, and really, he should have seen it coming.. "Soo.." she tilted her head, a small, mischievous smirk twisting the corner of her mouth up. "That would include barking orders at stylists.. insulting our brothers.. Flirting with women _way_ out of your league on the moral compass-" "I get it- I get it," he puffed, and she was almost surprised to see his brief, dejected pout. He pulled another award-winning smile out of his ass, brushing off her comment like it was dust. "And keeping with the fact that it's still a photoshoot, it's only natural that my clothes and makeup are professionally done." He smiled then, flashing his surprisingly cool fangs. He leaned toward her, but her eyes were focused on the fangs, wondering if she could pick some up at a costume store on the way home.. Maybe she could jumpscare one of the boys.. He'd started talking while she spaced out, but she snapped her attention back to his eyes when he'd gotten uncomfortably close, leaning down to her level with a satisfied smile, "-ome drop by my class.. We're doing a house of horrors.." "Really," she muttered sarcastically, causing him to raise an eyebrow in amusement as she continued, "Could've _sworn_ you guys picked _fanservice_ as a theme.. Now.." she tilted her head, tossing him a satisfied smirk, "I'll have to politely decline.. I still have some more fliers to hand out.." As if to prove her point, she waved the less than eight stack up eye level with her casually, smiling a little in satisfaction.

He paused a moment, meeting her challenging expression calmly, before he bent down, his hands capturing her raised ones with ease, using her surprise to his advantage as he took a smooth step forward, so they were merely a breaths width apart, "I'm not letting go.."

Okay.. she could give his acting some props.. Just a little.. Not major, but..

"You're really improving on that fake sincerity," she couldn't help but bluntly point out, her face deadpan at his satisfied expression. "I almost considered taking you seriously for about an eighth of a second.." "Onee-chan.." he murmured, and she had to seriously restrain herself from swatting away his hands to reclaim her personal space. His voice was softer this time, as if he were trying to act like Wataru-.. And _fuck… It was working_ … "Just for today, I'm allowed to enjoy the culture festival, too, right..?" His voice was soft, and pleading. You cocky son of a- the whisper had once again snuck to the forefront of her mind, something that was irritably becoming a habit over the month for the entity. Natasha didn't like it. It gave her a bad feeling.. "Futo.." she started off slowly, taking a deep breath as she steeled herself, she was going to have to force the images of a pouting Wataru out of her head.. Otherwise she was done for.. "I really can't.."

"Can't or wont," he pouted dejectedly, and she tossed him an unimpressed look, "Both, now please let me go.."

"Being an idol is lonely.."

His sudden hush-spoken revelation had her turning her head slowly back to him, her face becoming cool and expectant as she narrowed her eyes.

"I already said so, didn't I? That even the Culture Festival is work for me.."

"This profession was your choice," she deadpanned, cold-hearted and uncaring at his slowly leveling up puppydog eyes.. Pfft.. Like he could even compare to her level three.. _Amateur…_

"Can't you just spend a few minutes with me?" he took on the tone….. the _one tone_ Wataru used that got her _every. Fucking. Time…_ "Just a little while..?" _You sadistic, cocky, no good son of a-_

"Fine," she spat.

"Thank you," his face instantly brightened, and while she internally cried over her life choices, she felt him grasp her left hand, releasing the right one that still clutched the fliers, "This way-!" She was whisked along with him in a daze, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance as he pulled her into his dimly lit classroom. It was nearly pitch black, but when the door had shut, it was just that. "Let's enjoy a special setting," he grinned, his lips at her ear as he held one hand up slightly, his other holding her waist as the wind of the slide fluttered the ends of his cape dramatically. Had she not seen the anime, she'd have been impressed. But since that was not the case..

"Hands off," she muttered passively, swatting his hands away so she could walk further into the pitch dark room, she pinched her eyes shut, the whispers silent as she focused. Cat-like, night vision.. Nothing too extreme to make her eyes glow.. But enough for her to see outlines.. She blinked to let the new ability to adjust, brushing off the sudden burst of dizziness with a soft huff, schooling her tone to sound annoyed, "Isn't it a bit too dark in here..? How can you expect people to be scared of something they can't even see..?" She felt his breath at her back, and she resisted the urge to drop kick him into next Sunday. "Doesn't it set the mood better?" he asked calmly, though she could hear the smile in his words, he enjoyed annoying her, didn't he..? "Hang on.." His lips brushed against the hair that had escaped from her ponytail, the strands that had been brushed back behind her ear swaying with his heated breath. All of a sudden, he backed off, and she released the strained breath she'd been holding. She heard a click, and her spine stiffened, her eyes narrowing darkly at the wall in front of her as she ground her teeth, he wouldn't- "Futo, what the hell are you-"

She was cut off as a weight pressed into her back, a pair of lean, muscle-toned (How the hell he managed _that_ she will never know) arms, a firm chest pressing tightly into her back as hot breath blew against the shell of her ear, the cape nearly wrapping her into a cocoon with the dreaded idol.

His voice was low, and sort of warm, her face instantly flushed at the change in pitch. "I've got a cute little servant all to myself.. It's a shame you didn't wear the maid's uniform.. You would have been so much cuter.." _Fuck her side ways with a pickaxe- why the HELL was she cursed with a voice-kink-?!_

"This won't do, Onee-chan.." he murmured into her neck, the heat of her blood creeping from her toes to her hairline, he was finding her buttons.. And she was _pissed_ … He tut his tongue softly, as if scolding a child, his nose buried in her hair as he kept his firm arms around the stiff, trembling female, "You have to be more suspicious of men.. Or.." she felt his fanged smirk against her neck, and she nearly chipped her tooth with how tense she was at that moment. "..maybe it means my acting really has come together..?" "You're a manipulative little jackass," Natasha spat, not daring to move as she held her ground. He was _so_ dead when this was over..

His hand came up, and she felt the soft leather of a glove press against her bottom lip shutting her up as he hummed in delight, clearly pleased with her defiance. "This is _your_ fault, Onee-chan.." he scolded her playful, his free fingers curling beneath her chin gently, stroking the flesh there with subtle, controlling movements. There was no doubt in her mind he could feel her pulse now, and it annoyed her to no end.

"Flitting about, brother to brother.." he pulled his probing hand away to wave it in the air dismissively, but his other hand merely tightened around her waist, pulling her closer to his chest, to the point here she could feel every flex of his pectoral, and the movement of muscle beneath the skin of his arms. _Fucking hell_ … He continued after only a moment's pause, as if checking to see if he had her unwilling compliance to listen. "How many do you need to dance to your tune before you're satisfied..?" His free arm wrapped around her once more, completely caging her against his body. "You son of a-" she started to choke, then thought of a better argument, "You _seriously_ think I'd be so _loose_ to want-"

"But I'll solve that problem for you," he cut her off quickly, and when she felt his lips at her neck, she flinched, her body arching away from him with a sound that as cross between a gasp of surprise and a hiss of disdain. " _Fu_ -uto- don't you _da-aaare_ -" she had to force her words through her teeth sharply when she felt the sharp aesthetic fangs teasingly brush against her skin, grinding her teeth as she willed her body to move. Her arms had come up in an attempt to wretch his off, but either he was a superhuman buff with inhuman strength, or she was seriously in need of coffee.. Could be both..

"I'll make you mine.." he murmured against her neck, his plush lips soft against her skin and his breath burning the cool, anxious sweat there. She whimpered, as she felt his tongue peak out, tracing her skin with a soft, teasing lick. She felt her knees buckle, and he lowered them carefully to the paint-splattered floor, her heightened sight fading as she felt the willingness to keep the gift drift from it as well.. It was pulling at her energy, and paired with the gift's after effect migraine and a pubescent boy.. She was _not_ the most energetic...

His lips were at her ear again, and she visibly shuddered against his touch, forcing her face further away from him, his tone almost a soothing nature.

"I'm not going to declare my love for you, or anything of the sort-" "Well thank _god_ for small mercies-" Natasha cut in, but he merely tightened his arm around her chest, smirking slightly at her startled, pained gasp. "What I _like_.." he stated calmly, pulling her tightly against his chest a final time, to emphasize his point, "I _take_. I don't _need_ your permission.." Her breathing was stuttered, and uneven, more so from the pressure he was putting on her bindings than the tension of his sexual harassment. He didn't get that memo, apparently. "Oh?" he hummed in her ear, and she resisted the urge to gag, what is wrong with this kid-?! "Have I made your heart all aflutter to the point you can't tell me to stop..?" "More like I'm searching my curse words references to find out exactly how to insult your manipulative ass," she hissed, her shoulders shaking in the strain not to scream, it was _seriously_ starting to hurt, now… He must not have heard her words/hiss, because he continued after a pause, "Or.. do you not _want_ me to stop..?" With great effort, she managed to turn in his arms, facing him while her hands fisted threateningly into his silk vest. Oh how she longed to shred it and release him into the wild with a pack of hungry fangirls.. _Let him suffer…_. "I hate you.." she pronounced the quiet words, slowly, so he could understand every syllable. "To the very core of my being…"

He laughed at that, though it was quiet, but it was still a genuine laugh. She wanted him to taste a knuckle sandwich.. Or a fist souffle… "All of my brothers are such saps.." His voice lowered again, and his nose wasn't even three inches from her's as he met her eyes, his voice back to that alluring purr. "You've made tools of them all.."

He leaned in closer and she saw flashes.

 _Flashes of her new brothers._

 _Flashes of Arrow._

 _Flashes of Bao._

She didn't completely remember throwing him away from her, nor did she recall the hissed, venomous words that left her lips. However, she could vaguely feel the pain in her neck, the movement of her arms, and the ache of her legs as she burst from the classroom, muscle memory forcing her to break into a sprint. People darted out of her way as she passed them, mussed, but still tied hair flying as she left a strong current of air in her wake.

She'd slid to a literal screeching halt outside the door to the classroom, where the festival had already started, and was in full swing. She nearly scared the life out of the women and few males waiting outside in the hallway, clearly relaxed and waiting for a free table, but at the sight of her outfit, a handful of the females perked up, their hands clasped quickly to their chests. "Na-kun~!"

The chorus was instantaneous, and she quickly slid a practiced, cool smile onto her face, bowing at the waist with a slight flourish, her demeanor flipping from enraged panic to attentive butler host in a nano second. Thank you Sebastian Michaelis.. "Welcome, lovely Ojou-sama's.. Maisha-chan~ Welcome back-! I see you've brought your lovely companions~!" Their squeals filled her ears, and she sighed out the last of her subtle irritation, excusing herself with a polite smile and a slight wink.

She'd made it halfway through the inside of the room before Yusuke caught sight of her, a smile on his lips as he turned his head, "Geez, that took you a while.." She shook her head slightly at him, her unpleasant frown masked behind a cool smile, "Where would you like me..? Don't think I forgot about our little bet.."

He grinned, nodding his head toward the spinning stand of orders near the back, where an entire eighth of the room was devoted to a small kitchen. His eyes fell on her neck, however when her fingers probed her neck. "H-Hey-!" he called out, and she turned her head to face him out of curiosity, his face was strained now, obviously he was thinking hard about something. "Did something happen..?" "No," she brushed him off coolly, too coolly, in his opinion, before waving him off with a grin, "Oi~ Stop trying to stall me~!"

She finally managed to slip away to do her job, throwing herself into the roll like a switch had been flicked.

 _"Okaerinasai, Ojou-sama ,"_ Natasha purred.

 _"Is there anything I can get for you, Milady?"_

 _"There is a special tea prepared for you today, Master, would you like to try it..?"_

 _"If my lady will be so kind as to excuse me.."_

 _"My lady looks lovely today.. Absolutely divine.."_

 _"Would you like me to refill your cup, Master?"_

" _Please my lady_ ," Natasha had adopted a grave, tortured tone for this line, as she had had to fend off a few.. More specific.. Requests.. " _I dare not tarnish your reputation.. For you to see such a lowly servant as I should not_..-" She nearly flew out of her bow when nearly twelve different girls started screaming that ' _He was totally okay to stay as he was_ ' and ' _They would have to love him from afar_ ' or the rare ' _I don't care if it goes against society_ -!' … ...Huh… She'd never gotten _that_ reaction before… ...Meh...

And by the time the day was over, she'd kissed a few hands, helped more than a fair share of women into their coats, wrapped several scarves, and wished every single person a good day. And when Imai had finally allowed the servers to break, Natasha collapsed into the chair with a cry of victory, Yusuke doing the same, minus the cry of victory, his tone rather, his was more so in relief.

"I'm so tired.." she whimpered, her face shoved in her arms as she quivered from pure exhaustion. It was a miracle she'd lasted that long. "Yusuke-nii-chan.." she lifted her head pathetically, raising her arms like a child out to the red head with a puppy-eyed pout, "Carry me home..?"

"N-NANI-?!" he nearly roared, completely awake now, as he leaned back precariously in his chair, his arms swinging defensively across his chest, "What the- what- but- _WHY_ -?!" "I'm tired.." she whined, crocodile tears picking the corner of her eyes, "Is it because I look like a boy right now..? I don't like skirts.." "N-No-!" he tried to start, his face burning as she shook his head sharply from side to side, "J-Just don't- You just automatically think of me when you need carrying- or-?" "Yusuke is reliable," she gave him a sweet smile, and he froze on the spot, letting her continue in silence. "Yusuke wouldn't do anything to me while I slept, nor would he let Futo do anything to me in my sleep.." "Futo..?" he repeated the name quietly, silently cheering at the thought of her high regard toward him, though the last comment stuck out, "What did that brat do this time?"

"Ask him," she muttered, and he flinched at the sudden look of homicide she sent to the flower vase in the center of the table. A handful of students who hadn't been on their feet all day were cleaning up the other tables, but theirs' was untouched. "Jeez," he huffed, folding his arms his chest as he watched her gradually relax back into pouty exhaustion, "If you're that tired, I'll carry you.." when she immediately perked up, her absolute look of adoration sent him completely flustered, and he struggled to regain his composure, "Just d-don't expect me to do it all the time- alright-?!" "Booyah-!" she shot her arms up in victory, flinching at the sudden strain before whimpering, smacking the table with her face as she whined, "Owie.."

"Natasha-chan~!" A voice called from the doorway, and Natasha as given about a second and a half before she felt a weight smack into her back, Akira's familiar giggle reaching her ears before she relaxed from her tense stance, her voice returning to its usual calm. "Hello Akira-chan.." she gasped suddenly, and Natasha felt rather than heard her squeal of approval, turning her head to look at the tall girl in question and tilting her head in a specific way to avoid the woman's deadly cleavage. She was dressed in a jumper, and it was covered in a creamy substance. She'd said something about being part of a mini carnival.. Cream pie throwing and all that.. "Did you have fun?" Natasha asked kindly, her tone light. Akira immediately nodded, skipping around the shorter girl's chair so she was in front of her, squatting on the ground so they were eye level and grinning from ear to ear, "Yep~! I heard you were done so I rushed to meet you~!"

Realization seemed to dawn on the copper haired woman as she paused, eyes lighting up as she looked Natasha up and down slowly, before bringing her eyes back up to the tired golden ones, her cheeks flushing pink as she clasped her hands together in excitement, "You.. you look so _cute_ ~!"

"I was aiming for mysteriously dedicated," Natasha shrugged, stretching her strained shoulders and lifting a hand to pat the now stunned girl's head, "I hope you had fun today. It's our last Culture fest, after all.."

"Maybe we can go to a _different_ festival after this," Akira was quick to suggest, capturing the shorter girl into an abrupt hug and holding tightly. She nuzzled her face into the shorter girl's white cotton candy hair, the strands giving off the scent of sweet tea and cakes. It smelled good…

"Sounds fun," Natasha nodded idly, Akira blinked in slight surprise at the words, but audibly squealed, nearly crushing the smaller female to her chest in excitement, immediately listing off all of the possible festivals they held in the streets or any celebrations that were being held around town for the public. Yusuke huffed from his place across from them, grimacing with a stagnant blush on his face.. Why was he jealous of a girl, again..? Oh right… She could do whatever she wanted to Natasha without batting an eye.. _Ugh_..

It was twenty more minutes before the room was back to its former glory, and Natasha had excused herself to change behind the curtain with several other girls. She emerged a few minutes later in a pair of black yoga pants and a long, loose grey top. It hung off of one shoulder, but let the bright purple strap of her tanktop and the slimmer black strap of her bra be visible. She was too tired to care, though, so she let it be. Yusuke emerged from the hallway a few moments later, apparently the men had gone off to change in the restrooms. When his eyes fell on her, however, he had a hard time keeping his jaw off of the ground.

She was rubbing at her eyes with her fist, her shoulders slumped and her bag dragging along the ground weakly as she padded toward him.. Too.. _Too cute_.. She was trying to kill him, he idly realized, swallowing thickly as she stopped just a few feet in front of him, before grinning, her tired smile nearly melted his face off. _How is that even legal-?!_

"Ready to go?" she yawned, missing the soft snort he gave as he forced his eyes to the ceiling, then back to her, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. It was still down in the split fashion, but she was more distracted by the fact that he was turning around, and his arms held back with a grumble. She hesitated for a moment, just watching him with a dumbstruck look on her face. He huffed a little, rolling his eyes as he turned his head back to glance at her, "What are you waiting for? Get on." Natasha waited a few more seconds before she complied, wrapping her arms comfortably around his shoulders and allowing his arms to thread behind her knees, hitching her higher up his back as he stood quickly, nearly jolting forward with the extra momentum and craning his head back to give he a sharp look, "What the hell- How are you so light?!"

"Well it's better than being heavy," she smirked, pinching his ear lightly as he blushed, "Otherwise I couldn't guilt you into carrying me home.." "So you admit it-!" "Hahaha-!" she giggled at his put-out voice, her shoulders shaking as she buried her face in the back of his neck, she didn't laugh too often at school, but Yusuke.. He seemed to bring them out more often..

 _What a cinnamon roll.._

"What?" Yusuke asked suddenly, and she tensed, turning her laughter to silence in a nanosecond. "What?" she repeated. "What's a cinnamon roll?" Yusuke curiously, and she felt her face immediately burn. Fuck, she said that out loud. "What is it?" he raised a suspicious eyebrow, so she could only sigh, shaking her head to appease him, "It's another way of saying you're sweet or nice." He paused at that statement, tilting his head to the side as his eyes turned vacant, looking off toward the clean room before glancing back to her, "But.. what is it..?"

"It's like a biscuit, but with cinnamon and cream cheese," she pat his shoulder casually, before curling into his back, sighing softly as they began their trek out of the school. There were a couple stares, but they were easily batted away with Yusuke's glare, and it was nearing twenty minutes before they'd made it to the train station. He'd had to maneuver her shoes out of her locker, but he merely carried them after getting his own on, and helping her onto his back again.

* * *

Pale, slim fingers tapped a staccato as deep, oceanic blue eyes gazed at the shining white hair of their target.


	33. Chapter 7 (Final)

By the time he'd managed to carry her home, she'd stirred from her nap, letting him carefully set her on the front stoop after several minutes of pestering on her part. He reluctantly allowed her to sway briefly on her feet, catching her shoulders to steady her before he opened the door with one arm, watching as she smirked, lifting a hand to pat his cheek consolingly as she passed him with a sway of her hips, "Thank you, Yusuke, but I recall asking you to call me _Your Majesty~_ " "Yeah, yeah, don't push it.." he muttered, but she could see the smile toying on his lips. On their way to the fifth floor, it was quiet, but comfortable. Yuusuke excused himself to change once they'd gotten there, and Natasha waved with a smile, moving to go down the stairs to the living room. The least she could do was start dinner.. That power nap did wonders..

"I'm home~!" she sang out casually a hand dragging down the railing while the other shouldered her bag.

"Welcome back~!" a familiar voice called back, and she glanced in the livingroom to see a stressed Tsubaki sulking on the couch, but the slight smile he sent her was enough to show he was glad she was there. Natasha sighed as a different brother came to mind, along with a much more sinister voice. .. Son of a-..

"Is something wrong?" Tsubaki had sat up as she passed him, having unconsciously gravitated towards the piano. She halted in her tracks, mentally scolding herself for the instinctive urge, before tuning back at his concerned voice. "Didn't you have fun?"

"That's not it," Natasha waved the question off casually, shaking her head slowly to emphasize her point, "I got to dress like a butler and seduce some people.. _That_ was fun.. I just didn't like the fifteen minutes before starting time." He snorted at her answer, his lips twisting into a slight smile, though his eyes were still creased with strain, "You dressed like a butler..?" Natasha slipped her hand into her bra and pulling out a fist full of small, rumpled pieces of paper, casually opening her hand palm down to let the slips float innocently to the table.

"I got their phone numbers."

Tsubaki blinked slowly at the pile, before looking up at her, the silence in the room thick for all of two seconds before he started laughing. Natasha grinned at his cleansing chuckles, but when his breath hitched, she raised her eyebrows in question, her mouth curving in confused amusement. "Something wrong..?" He hesitated a moment, war battling behind his eyes, before he stood from his seat, passing the table without a care until he was a foot or so away from her. She was rooted to the spot in a mixture of concern and surprise, unable to move with the intense stare he was giving her.

"Hey," his low, deep voice cut into her thoughts, and she forced herself to pay attention. Tsubaki's eyes were trained on her face, but she had caught his subtle glance at her neck. _FUCK IT I'M GOING TO KILL THAT LITTLE POP STAR WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM_ \- "Who gave you that hickey on your neck?"

"Shit," the world slipped from her lips as she smacked her hand over the wound, grumbling silently in fury as she planned Futo's imminent torture. "Why aren't you saying anything?" he demanded firmly, taking another step into her personal space. She wanted to step back, but his steely violet eyes held her in place. Note to self, do not piss of Tsubaki…. Intentionally…. "That kind of thing really hurts me, you know.. I may have to been forceful about it, but I meant what I said then.." His hands found the sides of her face with little resistance, and her eyes were trained on his mouth. _Holy wowza.. Really close there.. Little too close_ … "So I want an answer," he stated quietly, and she briefly flicked her eyes up to his, studying his face for a quiet moment. "Tsubaki.." she murmured, slowly finding the words to piece the situation into order, "It's not.." He was closer now, and she could only swallow as a lock of his hair brushed against her own, their noses nearly touching when a new voice cut into the exchange, the tone reproachful, and not at all happy.

"Don't do things that put her on the spot."

Tsubaki stepped back as if he'd been burned, but Natasha merely pivot on her heel, turning to face the newcomer with slightly relieved, now annoyed eyes. Didn't Hikaru and herself _pointedly order him_ to stay in bed..?

"Azuza," Tsubaki stated tersely, and she idly wondered if he was going to punch the raven with the amount of annoyance that rolled off of him in waves. "Why are you butting in?" Azuza didn't seem to be doing much better. Don't get her wrong, he still looked to be on death's door pale and sickly, but he made up for fierceness with his simmering aura and his glaring eyes. His firm voice helped a bit, too..

"The better question would be 'why are you not in bed'," Natasha cut in calmly, but it was clear by her expression that she was not pleased, "Did Hikaru-nii and I _not instruct you_ to stay in your bed and call us for assistance?"

"I don't mean to butt in," Azuza spoke swiftly, and coolly, his eyes narrowed on Tsubaki while the twins both ignored her completely. "But she's upset, so-" "That's none of your business," Tsubaki cut him off swiftly, and Natasha flinched at the tone of his voice. He did _not_ sound like a happy camper. Seeing no other form of entertainment, she swiftly put her hands behind her back, creating a thick purple hoop of yarn, before bringing it forward, and tangling her fingers into a cat's cradle. She needed something to help calm down after Azuza pointedly disregarded both her and Hikaru's concern for his health..

"This is between her and me, isn't it-!?"

"Tsubaki.. _Listen_ to me.."

"I don't _understand_ you, Azuza-! Why do things get like this when it comes to her-?! Could it be that you like her, too?"

Natasha tangled the string around her fingers slowly, carefully, trying to get the precise design in mind.. It was starting to turn out right.. Sort of.. Maybe..?

"I'm worried about _you_ , Tsubaki.."

"Huh?"

Natasha twisted the finished part around her wrist, lifting it to her teeth to hold a specific piece out before continuing the knot.

"When it comes to Natasha, you're very forceful.. And I have no choice but to stop you.. You have to think about her feelings, or things will go badly.."

Natasha flipped the design, smiling in satisfaction when it pulled into a reverse trap.. Now could she do it the other way…..?

"Shut up.."

"Tsubaki…"

"I don't want to hear what you have to say anymore."

Natasha was slowly starting to feel the taste of panic as her arms and fingers became more ensnared in the reverse, reverse trap.. She didn't know how it had managed to include her torso and beginning of her head, but stranger things have happened...

"I just.."

Natasha felt a strange pulse in her system.. Like something wasn't right.. Almost purely out of instinct, she looked up from her almost completely tangled mess to see Azuza with a face of pained surprise, his violet eyes wide and his lips parted ever so slightly.

His voice choked in his throat, and it seemed like time was slowing down. The knots around her prevented her from immediately moving, but she could only watch as his balance wobbled, and he fell forward. Tsubaki had jumped forward, his palm outstretched, but when he'd missed, Natasha was there, sliding beneath his arm and catching the raven beneath his armpits, her expression blank in an almost icy way. Tsubaki was startled, to say the least, looking at his passed out brother and he girl suddenly wrapped in an endless supply of purple string.. He would have wondered where it had come from, had she not snapped her eyes to his, her glare filled with misdirected anger, but authority none the less, and spoke in a quick, efficient manner. "Call an ambulance."

* * *

"Feisty little thing, isn't she?" Scythe murmured. Said hombre haired male was sitting slouched in a high tree branch, invisible to the humans around them, but very much visible to the blonde nit-wit guarding their target. Mace lifted his eyes from the pilfered report, sliding his silver toned eyes to the window of the apartment. He hummed, not agreeing, but not disagreeing, either, before turning his eyes back to the papers. There had to be _something_ here...

Scythe sighed, clearly annoyed, and leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees and resting his chin in his hands. Her lazy eyes scanned the scene, nearly snorting in derision when she blatantly created entertainment for herself, and preceded t get tangled in it..

They had a lot of work to do..

But first...

"Have you found a clue to get through the barrier?" he asked casually. Though the order was laced in his words, his "partner" gulped, and shook his head, with a sound of disagreement. "No, I'm afraid he's laced up all the weak points tightly..W have t wait for her to take it down.."

"And with the way he's been putting it off.." Scythe's cool smile twisted into a brief, sadistic curl of his lips, one even the animals avoided, "He's bound to drive her out of it, all on his own.. No pressure from us, required."

"Aah," Mace hummed.


	34. Chapter 8: Part 1

"I'm home-!"

Natasha looked up at the new call, Tsubaki having stopped fumbling with his phone long enough to turn his head in panic. Masaomi looked startled, to say the least his eyes flicking from the tense, wound-up to the point of exploding Tsubaki, down the the unconscious Azuza, and the firm, but calm female holding him upright.

"Masaomi," Natasha called after a second of absolute silence, they didn't have time for this, "Can you call an ambulance? Tsubaki-!" the silver haired boy snapped his eyes to her quickly as she directed an order to him, "Go get a rag and wet it with warm water. Now-!" She added the last part when he seemed to hesitate, but Masaomi was already rushing forward to help her. She lowered him onto the carpet carefully, Masaomi helping her get him onto his back as he pulled out his phone, calling the hospital. Tsubaki wasted about three more seconds before he snapped out of it, the main reason being the quick slap on the shoulder the female gave him and her sharp expression. "Tsubaki- he's going to be fine- but you need to snap out of it. Now."

He gave her a shaky nod, and when she turned to get on her knees beside Masaomi running her hands over him for his temperature. Masaomi was multi tasking with talking the the hospital's head nurse on his cell, while feeling for Azuza's pulse, his voice hurried, but firm.

She hadn't realized Tsubaki had left until he returned with a damp rag, setting it over his brother's forehead and clearing away the sweat there. Natasha took a moment to study his stunned, nature, before she reached out a hand to his shoulder. He flinched a bit at her touch, turning to see her watching the raven at her knees intently, though her hand was giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"He'll be alright."

Her words were so soft he could have easily fooled himself into thinking he imagined it. However, as her hand lowered, and took over his paused task, he watched as she meticulously wiped at his face and neck, wondering how on earth she felt so..

 _Wise_ all of a sudden…

* * *

The ride to the hospital was silent, and tense, Natasha having slipped away to pack a large bag of things for the raven when they weren't looking, taking the opportunity to do so when the ambulance had arrived. Tsubaki had ridden with him in the Ambulance, but Masaomi had insisted he drove himself and Natasha, her only though, because she refused to let him leave her behind.. About three minutes of pouting, begging, and arm clinging ensued before he'd given in, though...

Long story short, she had gotten to go, there was a note on the fridge, and there was an unusually stuffed backpack at her feet for Azuza. When they had gotten there, there had been countless bustling nurses and doctors in the emergency area, carts as well as people wheeled to and fro, but Natasha's eyes locked on Tsubaki, seeing him sitting slumped in a painful plastic armchair in the waiting area. She ditched the backpack with Masaomi before she bolted for him, her arms wrapping around him without a second thought and her face burying in his hair.

She'd been in that position before…

And she hated it..

"It's okay.." she murmured, stroking her fingers slowly through his hair. His arms wrapped instinctively around her torso, well, more her hips due to the position, and he buried his face in her stomach. She merely closed her eyes as she felt his hold tighten, smoothing the mussed white strands carefully as she held him. Masaomi met them a few long moments later, giving her a sad smile as he spoke. "I'm going to check in with the others.. I'll come to get you if there's any news.."

"Thank you, Masaomi," Natasha gave him a warm smile, he was doing his best in the situation, but the faint lines of worry and exhaustion were still etched on his face. "Should I get us some drinks-" "I'll do it."

Tsubaki had cut her off before she could finish, standing swiftly enough to cause her hair to sway a he released her, a calm, blank look on his face as he excused himself to find the vending machines. Natasha sent a frown at his retreating back, shaking her head slowly as she brought a hand to her temple. "And to think, this could have been avoided if he wasn't so stubborn.. Hikaru and I _both_ gave him the order to stay in bed. But did he listen..?" Masaomi turned his head to watch the now pouting female rant to herself in a tiny voice, her face scrunched up and her button nose twitching every so often as she rolled her eyes back and forth in a mocking way. The concern was there though, in her posture, in her tone, in the crease between her eyebrows… Huh…

"But _Nooooo_ ~" Natasha continued with a huffy voice, "I'm Asahina Azuza.. I'm too good for common illness~ What is sleep~?" She would have said more had a finger not suddenly poked between her eyebrows. She blinked slowly at the retreating hand, eyes darting up the guilty arm and following the limb to the owner. Masaomi was giving her a small, bashful smile, but the tension had eased from his eyes, his hand coming up to muss her hair, much to her internal annoyance, though she held in the aversion so he could relax. It seemed like he needed it.

"He'll be fine you know," Masaomi spoke firmly, but both wondered for whom he had pointed it out, to, "He's stubborn like that.."

"A blessing to a fault," Natasha finally sighed, lifting her hands up to wrap around Masaomi's torso, startling the brunette with the sudden hug, though she buried her face in his new labcoat with a sigh. "...I know."

* * *

Natasha was currently in the front hallway of Sunrise Residence, her neon purple phone pressed lightly to her ear as she listened to the dial tones. Arrow, by a stroke of luck, had met her outside on his way back, and was currently standing in front of her, his eyebrows drawn together in worry, and his lips pursed into a thin line. The dreamless nights were getting to her, he realized, watching as she took slow, deep breaths. She held up a hand for unnecessary silence as the dial turned off, and a small amount of the tension came off of her face. He could clearly hear the voice through the phone, but he only subtly listened in, leaning against the wall beside her with a foot propped up against it.

"Natsume?" Natasha spoke as soon as the tone cut off.

" _Huh_..?" the voice on the other end of the line sounded disgruntled and confused.

"I'm sorry for waking you," Natasha had bowed her head unconsciously, eyes pinched shut as she brushed away the mental image of a sleepy Natsume Kitten. _Ugh- Nata-! Head out of the gutter-!_

 _"Hey- no- what's up..?_ " Despite sounding thoroughly confused, the male managed to form a coherent sentence, the sound of rustling fabric heard and the grunt of someone stretching.

"Azuza's in the hospital."

Her intention was to rip the news out like a bandaid, but it only seemed to confuse him further. " _Azuza has..? WHAT_ -?!"

Natasha flinched at the sudden alert shout, but she managed to quickly insert, "Woah-woah-! Chill it, Chianti-! He's _fine-!" "What the hell-?! Why is he in the hospital-?!"_

"He didn't want to chill the fuck out and overworked himself," Natasha bit out, still sore over the raven not listening to her instructions, "He could have avoided it if he slept and ate regularly instead of pushing his limits.." She had several ignorance insults on the tip of her tongue, but she would save it for a punching bag, later, right now, telling Natsume was her priority, so after hearing a hitch in his breath, she took a calming breath in, and out, before continuing, "He just needs vitamins and rest.. But he's staying at the hospital.. Mainly for the reason that if we left him at home, he wouldn't even attempt to fix the issue.. The doctors say that's what's best, so that's what we're doing.. He's not in mortal danger, nor is he profoundly wounded." It was silent for a moment on both ends, before she included, rather petulantly, her face flushed and turned away from Arrow's inquiring eyes, "I.. I'm sorry for scaring you.."

She heard a huff, and a slight chuckle, her blush turning a shade darker as she turned up her nose. _Seriously, what was wrong with her..?!_

 _"Thank you.."_

She hesitated before she spoke, unconsciously checking her voice before she answered, "No problem, pumpkin.."

She heard a slight laugh, but it was less strained than his voice had been, and she couldn't help but give a tiny smile.. _Damn was she in deep with this guy.._

 _"Really, thank you..-"_

She smiled.

 _"-Little Lamb.."_

Annnnnddddd… Her heart stopped.

She dropped the phone completely, the device falling to the floor with a clatter as any and all emotion was wiped from her face. Arrow stepped forward quickly as her knees started to buckle, his hands grasping her shoulders as he watched a red blush sweep from beneath her shirt, past her collarbones, up her neck all the way to the tips of her ears, small streams of hot steam spewing out as the phone lied on the floor.

 _"Natasha-? Natasha are you alright?"_

"Natasha.." Arrow spoke slowly, turning her chin to face him as he studied her face, "He won't be able to hear me on that device.. You need to answer him.." She blinked at him slowly, before she reached down, almost drunkenly, to bring up the phone, her voice quiet, yet at the same time, an octave higher. "No No No, I'm fine, Natsume..! Really, you just.."

" _Did I.. offend you.._?" there was a strained hesitance in his tone.

"Oh-! Shit- _no_ \- no you didn't-!" Natasha rushed to defuse the bomb, but facepalmed when she realized how stupid she was being, "I mean- Cheese and crackers, Chianti, I didn't _mean to be_.. You just.." She felt her lips twitch a little as she forced her eyes away from Arrow, her skin noticeably warm, "You surprised me.. That's all.."

It was silent on his end, and she heard more fabric being moved, before she heard a soft breath, " _You're not mad, then._.?" "Why would I be..?" Her tone had gone up at the end, but she was more so confused with the question.

"..." She blinked at his lack of response, before she sighed, standing up, (with a little assistance from Arrow) to go to her room, she needed to change. This outfit smelled like hospital bleach. Gross… "Are you upset..? I'm sorry for that reaction, I just.." she tried again after a few moments, clicking her door shut behind her after Arrow had floated out to sit on her bed, sitting indian-style on the lavender comforter and watching her sternly. Apparently he needed to talk to her.

She held up a finger with a sort of pleading expression, and he sighed, giving her a firm nod before he closed his eyes. She took the opportunity to grab a pair of grey track pants from her drawers, as well as a bright white button up that was long enough to reach mid thigh.. She'd gotten it in the idea that if Arrow were to stay the night, he would have something comfortable to sleep in. She had been quick to realize, however, that he did not need sleep, that it was a luxury, but when he did, he was curled up beside her in his suit. He'd let her try the outer jacket on one day, and she had no words to describe how extraordinarily comfortable it was.. It was just.. _Soft_ wasn't even the tip of the iceberg with that fabric.. She considered creating a similar fabric, but she had a reasonable fear that she'd fall asleep in whatever she'd turn it into.. Anyway.. Back on topic..

 _"Are you intentionally being cute or is it a subconscious thing?"_

Natasha choked a little as she swung her eyes to the phone, before bringing it back to her ear, her voice now heated and slightly annoyed, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" " _I'm asking if you're being cute on purpose or if it's an unconscious thing_." He was being serious, and it took her a few seconds to smack her sense back into her brain before she controlled her mouth enough to say, "Who the _hell_ are you calling cute?! I'm _not_ cute-! I am _fierce_ -! I am _deadly_ -!"

" _Subconsciously, then_ …" he sounded like he was talking to himself, but she couldn't help from fuming, "Who the hell are you calling cute?! If either one of us is cute, it has to be you-! There's no way you can get by saying that to me without it being complete bull-" She cut herself off at the sound of his laughter. It was pretty loud, but it was strangely calming, almost bell-like, and lifting the stress off of her shoulders.

* * *

Natsume flopped back onto his bed with a deep huff, a grin on his lips as he cradled his head with his free arm, his tone turning light as he sighed through his nose. "Is.. Is everything alright with you..?"

 _"Everything's fine, pumpkin, why do you ask?"_

He paused at her voice, his eyebrows furrowing as he listened to the underlying tension. "Doesn't sound like it.." He heard a sharp inhale on the other side, and he mentally hit the bullseye, "Alright.. Since you clearly cannot talk about it currently.." he trailed off to find the words for a moment, listening to her soft breathing before he closed his eyes, and continued, "..if you ever need to talk to someone.. You can always call me.. Or text.. If you want to meet up- that's fine, too.. Just.." He hesitated, and the breathing n the other end had completely stopped. He swallowed, fisted his hand in his pillow, and huffed, "You can talk to me."

"..."

He swallowed thickly as he pressed further into his pillow, internally cursing himself for going too far, however, after a moment, he heard a soft, dry chuckle, and the sound of wood creaking, before she spoke up, her tone playful, but obviously tired.

 _"I'll be sure to call you, Natsume.. Thank you."_

His breath hitched, and he bit the inner lining of his lip, lifting his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.. When was he suddenly a hormonal teenager? _Fucking christ.._

"Is there.. Anything else you need to tell me..?" he asked carefully, while listening to her on the phone didn't make him feel unpleasant in the least, the idea of going to work as a zombie, did..

" _No, I'm fine.. I'll keep you posted, okay?"_

"Yeah.." he murmured, listening with bated breath as she pulled back, mumbled something, then said, so he could hear, " _Good night, pumpkin_."

"Good night, little lamb," he teased her a final time, listening to her sharp inhale, before the call ended with a sharp click. He closed his phone with a huff, letting it fall to the bed beside him as he lifted his hand to his face, covering his eyes with a soft groan. Why did she have to be his _sister_ for Christ's sake..?! That had to be the worst plot twist imaginable.. God, he needed sleep…

Natasha left her room to get a snack, although, it was more so an excuse to see if Tsubaki was downstairs.. She'd swung by his room, but it was dead quiet, and she could only hope he hadn't gone off to take another one of his infamous sulking walks that lasted a matter of days.

When she'd made it to the bottom of the stairway, she held back a grimace, the pity bubbling in her gut a terrible combination with her underlying anger towards Azuza's ignorance to his own health. "Tsubaki.." she called gently, forcing herself to relax as she observed his hunched, thoughtful position on the bright red couch. "I'm back.."

Although he had been the one to come home first, not staying long enough to get a direct report on his brother's health, the silver haired male looked up, his expression so intense she nearly stepped back. "How is Azuza?" "He's perfectly fine," Natasha lifted her hands carefully in a placating gesture, her tone turning soft and soothing, "He just needed some forced vacation time.."

"I see," he murmured, returning to his position as if she'd not come in, his head hung low in obvious grief, "You called Natsumi, too, right..? He called our manager for me as well.. I.. I just couldn't think.." Natasha let out a long, deep sigh, before she walked over to him, plopping down beside him and shrugging an arm over his shoulder with a casual look on her face, her eyes closed as she simply sat there. It was a few minutes before he spoke again, but when he did, he sat up slightly, her arm around his shoulders falling on the back of the couch as he clenched his fingers on the knees of his pants. His voice was quiet, but wistful, filled with a regretful longing she didn't have even he first idea on how to help repair.

"Hey.. Did you know.." he murmured, almost as if to himself, "They say that siblings who are born together share one soul.. No matter how many ways the body is split.. There is still one soul.. Supposedly, you can tell what's going on with the other person when you're apart.. I.." She sat up slightly as she caught sight of his eyes, looking up and out unseeingly in front of them, his violet orbs shining with unshed tears. "I used to seriously have that feeling.." "Tsubaki-" Natasha started, her hand finding his opposite shoulder, if she needed to bring him down from something right now, she'd do it, but his voice had cut her off again, as if he'd not heard her at all. "And yet.. I don't feel anything right now.. I.. don't sense Azuza…" He slumped forward once more, as if he'd put all of his energy into his confession.

Natasha inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly, leaning forward in a similar fashion to him, leaning forward to gauge his expression, watching as he brought a hand to his chest. She unconsciously brought her arm behind his shoulders, her fingers tangling into the fabric at his opposite shoulder. "Tsubaki.. Are you alright..?"

His fingers instantly clenched into the fabric of his shirt, and she frowned. "It hurts," he murmured, his fingers trembling in their hold. Natasha sighed, resting her chin in her free hand, propping it on her knee as she listened. It was all she could really do for him right now.

"It.. _It hurts_ , right now.. It hurts when you say such kind things to me.." he whispered, "I was losing my cool about things like work, and about you.." "Tsubaki," she tried again, but she hesitated, closing her mouth at his defeated sigh. She could wait.. Not forever.. But she could wait..

"If I screwed up, and did something, and hurt you, there'd really be no way to set that right.." He turned his head to her slightly, and she blinked biting her lip at his earnest gaze. "Azuza stopped me to keep me from ending up that way.. And yet.." He brought a hand to his face with a hitch in his breath, he looked ready to have a mental breakdown. Seeing the opportunity to step in, Natasha shrugged way from his shoulder, crouching onto the floor in front of him so he was forced to see her, his head lifting ever so slightly from his slump before she began, her voice soft, and patient, her eyes conveying all of the empathy and sympathy she possessed.

"Tsubaki.. I get that you're upset.. That you're angry at yourself.. That you think that this is your own fault.." He flinched with each of her points, but as her face softened, he paused, his teary eyes shining at her smile, "But when was the last time you let him know that..?" "Let him know..?" He didn't continue, so she continued, her tone turning lighter and more casual, "He's your brother, Tsubaki, your twin- but that doesn't make him a mind reader."

"No way," Tsubaki dismissed immediately, and the look of hopeless abandon on his face nearly struck her in the gut. "He's your brother, Tsubaki-!" Natasha argued softly, keeping her voice low as not to startle him.. He looked like a wounded doe, presently, "Believe it or not, he does have feelings-!" "After all the awful thing I said to him.." Tsubaki murmured. "It's almost like _I'm_ the one who put him in the hospital.." "Would Azuza seriously think that..?" Natasha huffed, offering him a tiny smile, "You know just as well as I do that it'd be the last thing to enter his mind.." "I know that.." he groaned, burying his face in his hands, "I know that Azuza will probably forgive me.. That's exactly why.. I can't forgive.." His hands clenched tightly, and she felt as if her heart was between his palms.. She remembered this situation all too well.. The two months wondering whether he would live or die.. Replaying those eight seconds over and over in her mind.. Wondering if there was anything she could have done.. What she could have changed.. "..Myself.."

 _There wasn't anything you could do, so stop sulking over it, Natasha._

 _You're getting really annoying, nowadays._

 _I don't need you to baby me like this.._

She felt a pang in her chest as she remembered familiar golden eyes, neon green hair.. Dark brown roots.. Tanned skin.. That girlish face..

She felt arms around her in a mere moment, and she tensed out of instinct, her eyes snapping open wide as she watched the window from over Tsubaki's shoulder. His face was buried in her neck, and she could feel the light dampness of tears falling to her shirt.

"I know it's unfair to hug you at a time like this, but-"

"Shut up," Natasha cut him off.

He stilled, and started to move away, but as he felt a pair of small arms wind around his neck, holding him in place. He hesitated, before letting out a deep, shuddering sigh, curling into her with an inaudible whimper as he pressed his lips tightly together.

"I'm not going to let you keep thinking this way," Natasha murmured softly into the strands of his hair, closing her eyes as she started to comb through the strands with the tips of her fingers, "Azuza would never want to see you so upset.. And neither do I.. You really need to talk to him, Tsubaki.. I can't force you to do anything, but I know that I can trust you to do what you see is right.." She pulled back a little at that, cupping his face in her hands as she met his eyes, the tears that pricked the corners of his eyes dripping down to wet her fingers. "I believe in you Tsubaki. Never forget that."

"I'm.. so sorry…"


	35. Chapter 8: part 2

"It feels like just yesterday you brought me to this world.."

Arrow glanced to his left from his position atop the balcony railing of his mistress' room, her hair loose for once, allowing the silvery white strands to fall past her shoulders in soft locks of snow white, nearly reaching her upper back, and shining in the moonlight. He lowered the chocolate bar he had been savoring, his emerald eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the woman hunched over the railing at his side. Her head was lifted, glowing golden eyes trained on the bright and luminescent moon hanging in the navy blue sky. She was clad in a simple lavender silk pajama piece, but he had half a mind to find a blanket to ward off a potential chill.. Lord, he was getting really soft, wasn't he..?

"Hey.. Arrow..?"

He blinked in surprise when she hadn't moved, usually she would turn or head, or acknowledge him in some manner. With a hum, to show he was listening, he rolled the wrapper of his consumed treat silently into a ball, unconsciously burning it with a crackling green flame, the heat not tampering whatsoever with his glove.

"Why does Boa want my gifts..?"

He completely stilled at her question, blinking slowly as he adjusted his position on the railing, letting one leg hang dangerously over the edge, while the other pulled up into an Indian position. "Why do you ask..?"

"He's been visiting my dreams.." Natasha murmured calmly, sounding almost as bored as if she were talking about the weather. "I'm growing tired of his childish attempts to 'turn' me to his side.. I thought I've made it perfectly clear I have no intention of choosing either of you two.."

"Has.. that _thing_ been bothering you..?" Arrow asked after a pause, evading the question for now. She played along, but from her stance, he knew he hadn't derailed her completely.

"No," she denied calmly, leaning over enough to prop her chin into her hand, using the railing to support her elbow while the other hand kept her arm steady. "I've been practicing my gift of _Creation'_ s ability.. I've tried practicing with seals and sutras.. Mental ones, of course.. And it seems to be doing a good job of keeping her locked out.. Saves me a few nosebleeds, I suppose.. Though I do value her opinion on occasion.. She isn't very happy about this development, but she has already sworn, long ago, on her existence, to help me in my time of need."

"You seemed to have gotten a lighter poison, then," he sighed, turning to join her gaze on the moon and faint stars. "An angel's word is absolute, that comes with the existence.. You cannot go back on your word.. But it is also the same principle with demons.. Since they had been created with the same intention and purpose, they have all of the same abilities, though with more liberties to use them, with lack of tight moral compasses.."

"..." She was quiet for a time, and he nearly sighed in relief at her lack of attention, however, after another minute of silence, he was brought back to reality by her voice. "I want to tell them.."

"Pardon?" he muttered after a full minute of silence. Natasha hadn't moved from her spot, but he could see the conflicting emotions battling in her eyes, and the clear, strained grimace that tugged at her mouth. "Tell _whom, what_ , exactly?"

"I want to tell them about my situation," Natasha repeated slowly, her body still locked in it's musing position. Honestly, she wasn't even bothered by the fact that they could lock her into an insane asylum just with how she's acted so far.. Let alone what she wanted to tell them.. "Do you have the ability to show living mortals what you look like..?" "Of course," he scoffed, scowling slightly as he turned his eyes to her, his displeasure clear. "How do you suppose they would react to this? Doesn't human society have a grudge against abnormal behavior and thinking?" "Much like Heaven and Hell," She final gave him a slight smile, but he could see the dark tension that resided within it. He choose not to speak for a while, listening to her calm breathing as she gazed out over the courtyard.

"I take offense to that," he finally managed, slipping off the railing so he could stand on the floor of her balcony, folding his arms across his chest as he walked back inside the room. The squirrel was passed out in his house, which had been brought out of the closet and set up in the corner, opened up to reveal the luxurious inside.

Natasha joined him around ten minutes later, slipping under the covers of her bed, and snuggling into the cool sheets. Arrow sighed as he caught sight of her shining golden eyes in the darkness, her sharpened orbs trained casually on his emerald ones. He closed his eyes, hopping with ease onto the mattress, standing upon the comforter as if he weighed less than air. He lowered himself down, stretching out along the bed beside her, atop the covers, and she nodded, finally closing her eyes. Arrow lied propped up on his elbow, golden locks spilling around his shoulders in waves. With a sighed, he flicked his fingers, watching the small desk lamp turn off and the room bathe in darkness.

And as he listened to his mistress's breathing even, an her heart rate relax, he wound an arm around her form, pulling her against his chest as he lied back onto the bed, closing his eyes with a soft sigh.

"What a troublesome little angel you're turning out to be.."

* * *

Natasha clutched the bento in her hands as she waited at the front desk. She was glancing around the sterile waiting area as the older female in front of her kept pestering the poor receptionist woman about getting a prescription renewed or something and another.. After her fourth time sweeping her eyes around the room, she landed eyes on a familiar male. She couldn't immediately place how she knew said male, but as he exit the break room with a disposable cup of what she assumed was coffee with a pleased smile, it clicked.

"Hiro-!"

The middle-aged male looked up with a start, first toward the desk, where he assumed the call had come from, before flicking his eyes to the dark spot against the bright white of the hospital. A young girl, obviously short, but with a matured face, and fluffy white hair stood at a reasonable distance from the woman at the desk, a large black coat around her and a bright, robin-egg blue bento in hand as she waved to him brightly.

"Ms Asahina-!" he grinned, jogging over to meet her, they'd only met once, but apparently the imprint lasted. "How are you? Are you here for Masao-kun?" "Not quite," she sighed, holding up the lunch with a slight grin, "Another one of my brothers seems to have gotten himself ill.. I bring a nutritious lunch he will be guaranteed to eat." Hiro whistled slowly, his eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline as he gave her a slight grin, "I wish I had a sister half as devoted as you are." "He wouldn't have had to show up here at all if he listened to me in the first place," Natasha deadpanned, sighing as she shook her head.

"Are you trying to find his room?" he asked curiously, tilting his head when her mood only seemed to dampen further.

"I've been standing here for twenty minutes.."

* * *

It took Hiro a matter of seconds to find the room she needed, and she thanked him profusely before she headed off to scold the raven haired male that ignored her advice. However, it seemed she didn't need to go through all of that trouble, because when she'd turned to enter the designated hallway for patients, she halted in her steps, a familiar head of raven and a similar one in orange halting immediately as well to avoid crashing. "Oh- you're here?"

"Natsume- Azuza-?" Natasha blinked slowly at them, before she let out a deep, relieved breath, "Thank god.." "You came to see me?" Azuza smiled slightly, and Natasha nodded, reaching a hand up to rub at the back of her neck. "Yeah, so.. Being up and about.. _You better have your doctor's permission_.." her last sentence had been anything but sweet, and both males internally swallowed back their fear. "U-Uh-huh," Azuza nodded after a moment, his uneasy smile desperate to defuse the bomb she'd set. "They'd even said I could take visitors.."

"Good-!" Natasha perked up instantly, and the duo shivered, Natsume giving her a slight smile after a moment of comfortable silence. With a sigh, he adjusted the jacket over his arm, and gave his brother a stern look, "I should get going." "Thank you, Natsume," Azuza gave him a smile, and Natasha offered him one as well.

He hesitated a second, before bending down ever so slightly, so Azuza couldn't read his lips, "Take care of him for me, would you?" She flashed him a brief, open mouthed smile, and he was momentarily stunned by the bright white teeth. "You can count on it.." "Thank.. you," he sighed, giving her a final smile, and a nod, "You have my number if there's an issue."

"Aye- Aye-" Natasha rolled her eyes, giving him a look that said 'I'm not eight, come on', "A little faith, Chianti.. It wouldn't kill you.." "Take care," he smiled, waving as he turned, and walked down the hallway toward the entrance. Natasha sighed as he disappeared, shaking her head slowly, "Did the benefit of the doubt become extinct in the last few generations..?"

"Chianti..?" Azuza repeated to himself, clearly confused as he furrowed his eyebrows. She could see the rotors in his mind working, and failing to make a connection, so Natasha giggled, lifting a hand to wave off his slight concern. "It's just a nickname.. Chianti is a red wine.."

"Aah.." he nodded at that, his eyes glancing toward the hall where Natsume had left, before turning back to her, his smile warmer, "Thank you for coming all this way."

"I recall stating that should you fall ill, I'm going to play doctor on you," Natasha teased lightly, lightly bumping her shoulder against his as she reached for her bag, and held up the bento in the other hand, "I bring gifts.. Fresh clothes.. And a decent meal. Ukyo provided the clothes because I had _no idea_ what size you were or what to grab you.."

"I appreciate it.." he murmured softly.

* * *

Natasha walked along the grounds of the hospital with Azuza, the two merely enjoying the silence. Or more, the lack of words. They could focus on the wind in the trees, the sound of woodpeckers and the happy twittering of the birds. After a while, they found a lone wooden bench, and Natasha nearly forced him to sit down.

"It'll do you no good to push yourself on your first day of relative freedom," Natasha lectured in a near monotone, but the anxiety in her voice was heard by both. She stood off to the side with a sigh, both of them taking a moment to breath in the clean air, and relax.

After a few moments, she heard Azuza hum, and she brought her attention back to the raven, her eyebrows furrowing at the ironic smile painted on his face. "According to Masao-nii.. I have something called meningitis.." "So you're head sick," she deadpanned, her face blank at at his awkward chuckle. "Ahh, yeah.. They said its caused by something making the membrane around by brain swell.." "Corrodes with your thinking and reflexes, with the potential of death if not treated correctly." "Aah," he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck with a light smile, "You know a bit about it.. Have you had it before..?" She hesitated, and he noticed, but waited patiently, before she sat down on the opposite side of the bench, her back straight, and her fingers lacing into her lap.

"My.. father had it once.." she admit after a few moments, her calm eyes cast to the swaying grass. "One of the reasons I took a medical course in junior high was so I could spot things like this.. Why I told you to _stay in the goddamned bed_.." He laughed at her completely now, her dark pout softening, then completely disappearing as he relaxed into the seat, his eyes taking on a thoughtful, sad expression a they listened to the nature around them.

"In terms of work, the timing for this was terrible.." he spoke after a minute, and Natasha turned her head slightly to the side, watching him with a slight glare, though she didn't speak. "But there's no point in fretting about it, right? Right now, the only thing I can do is to get well as quickly as possible.." He turned to look at her when he was done, but by then, her gaze had softened completely, and she was watching him with almost sad looking eyes. "By the way," he murmured, watching as she turned her gaze back to the trees, "How have things been, since..? I mean.. Back at home.." Natasha sighed, standing calmly and brushing off the seat of her trenchcoat. "Same as always, if you take in the account of.."

Azuza sighed, moving to stand with her. The wind brushed through their hair, swirling around them playfully before returning to the leaves. The raven turned to face the female with an expectant look, watching as the snowy white locks of hair kissed her cheeks and neck, "It's about Tsubaki isn't it.." She gave him a slight smile, but the tension around her eyes was clear. "It's starting to eat at him.. He's blaming himself for it.."

"I knew it," he muttered.

"He thinks that he's the one who put you here.. He also thinks the situation happened because of your stress, the ending result being an illness trying to kill you." "Situation," he murmured, stunned, his eyes wide and his lips parted slightly as he watched her clench her hands. He was reminded of the incident in the hallway, where she'd ordered him to go as far as he could, but not to push it.. Looks like he took a leap past that line, didn't he? "The anime, for example," Natasha sighed, folding her arms tightly over her chest as her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, "Not to mention your regular work.. And.." she trailed off slightly, and he could see the guilt clear on her face. She was surprisingly expressive for someone who didn't really like heart-to-heart chats.

"Can I ask you something?"

The words had left his lips before he could stop them, but she had turned to him all the same, her expression schooled into calm indifference as she gave him a slight nod. He met her eyes firmly, and she stared back, his voice, calm, but layered with a deeper meaning.

"How do you feel about Tsubaki?"

She inhaled deeply at his question, before letting out a slow, deep sigh, her eyes closing as she took four paces away from him, stopping in place just long enough to steel her nerves. "I'm not going to lie," she spoke after a few moments of silence, she could feel his eyes on her back, but she felt like crying, and that is not a face she wants them to see. Ever.

"I think of Tsubaki as an older brother."

And it was true. She did see him as an older brother. They were all precious family to her, just like she was family with her friends in her first life.. Just because they weren't blood related, it didn't mean anything.. They were still family.. She wondered if she had had a funeral.. If her actual family would have a private, or public burial.. If her friends would have covered the place in black roses and pocky boxes like they'd sworn to do for one another in case of the worst.. She wondered if they'd play the stun-gun game for her belongings like she'd written in a will in freshman year.. If her request to have wifi in her headstone was met..

"What about as a man?"

Natasha sighed, lowering her head as she mentally smacked her face. "I can't lie and say I haven't, but I also can't lie and say that I have.." She hesitated, before she folded her arms across her chest, fixing her balance as she closed her eyes, "That's why I'm grateful that you've been there to stop him, while I'm having such conflicting thoughts.."

"You're wrong, you know.."

Her ears pricked at his low voice, and she pivot on her foot to face him, her eyes felt wet, but it would take a bit of pushing for her to actually cry.

He was standing stone cold and serious, and while his face was cool, and focused intently on hers, his eyes were overflowing with a passionate emotion she couldn't quite name.. "I haven't done anything that's worthy of your gratitude.. It's like Tsubaki said.. I was butting in..." "Did you stop Tsubaki from making very poor life decisions?" Natasha rolled her eyes slightly, though his expression didn't change, "Then I am, in fact, grateful. There's not much you can say that will change that, Azuza.."

"Natasha," he stated firmly, and she tilted her head slightly at the turn in tone. She furrowed her eyebrows at his sharp gaze, her back unconsciously straightening and her weight brought up from her hip. "I'm in love with you.. Not as an older brother.. But as a man."

She only had a second and a half to feel the stunned surprise of his confession, before she was wrapped in his arms, his breath at her ear and his arms holding her waist against him tightly. She blinked once, then twice, her arms locked against his chest as she processed what was going on, and slowly felt reality ease back into focus. She felt her shoulder twitch in shock as she realized what he'd just said, and mentally screamed in confusion, happiness, and despair.

Did he really mean it..? Or was it a result of the timeline..?

Did he have control over his actions? Or was it all set in stone?

Did he see Natasha..

Or Ema..?

"I'm.. sorry," He gasped after a moment, clearly surprised by his own actions as he took a quick, sharp step back, his arms dropping to his side as he shot an apologetic look away from her. "I shouldn't have said that.. It's.. not just Tsubaki.. Several of my brothers also have feelings for you.. And the fact that you're troubled by it.." He turned his back to her as he took a safe step away, his voice lowered, but strained with calm. "I knew all that, and yet…"

"I'm.." Natasha started slowly, watching his shoulders jump in surprise at her voice. "I'm glad.. That you told me, I mean.." He turned his head ever so slightly to see her, but she was turned away from him, her eyes trained on the trees, where a family of squirrels were playing together. "I'm glad that you were honest with me.. I find it.. Painful, when those I hold close to me, lie about what they think or feel.. So.." She turned her head to face him, and he caught the slight smile of her lips, and the two, shiny tears that fell down her cheeks, "..Thank you.. Azu-nii.. For being honest."

* * *

"Welcome home, Imouto-chan-!"

Natasha looked up from her trained eyes on the floor, seeing Kaname in his monk's garb welcoming her with literal open arms. "Hey Kaname," she gave him an easy smile, clouding her thoughts with pictures of puppies so it was less forced. "Are you heading out?" "Mhmm," he hummed, just a few inches away as he looked down at her, though she nearly had to crane her neck back to meet his eyes. She was glad that her crying face had disappeared on the walk home. " _Night time_ duties.." His suggestive tone sailed over her focussed thoughts, but she caught the gist of the words, "Oh, cool.." His face was mere inches from her's, but his sweet smile was still in place. She kind of wanted to pinch his cheek, actually, but thought better of it, instead keeping a small, focussed smile on her lips.

"You went to visit Ah-chan, right?" he asked politely, standing up straight again so she had a semblance of personal space. "How was he doing?" "Oh," Natasha sighed in relief at the easy question, before offering him a more genuine smile, "He's doing alright.. The doctors predicted he'd be completely fine in a few days.." "I'm glad," Kaname grinned.

The doors slid open behind him, and Natasha leaned around Kaname's form to see, smiling a little at the sight of a drowsy Tsubaki, even though it was a bit of a stretch. "Hey Tsubaki..!"

He looked up with a start, and she waved a little, her expression calm, "Are you going out, too?" He turned his head away with a slight nod, and she could barely make out the words, "Yeah, for a bit," under his breath. He passed her calmly, and she raised her voice, "Tsubaki-" "I know," he cut her off, hesitating just at the door, his posture rigid, but controlled. "I'll go visit Azuza. Definitely."

"Oh I already knew that, I was just going to ask if you wanted anything specific for dinner," Natasha stated calmly, her face deadpanned as she turned to look at him. He turned his head in honest surprise, Kaname watching her with wide eyes as she blinked at the silver haired male, "I was thinking pasta, but you've been a little down, so.. American sounded better.. They have the best greasy foods.." He blinked once, before she smiled, nodding, "Anyway, good luck with Azuza-! He's looking forward to your visit-!" Tsubaki gave a slow, hesitant nod, before he turned back to the door, the slightest smile on his lips as he closed his eyes.

"Then.. I'll get going.. There's.. Something I have to do, before I go.."

He left without another word, and it was quiet for a few moments, before Natasha turned to Kaname, the blonde much more pleased than earlier with the change in Tsubaki's attitude. "Looks like Tsuba-chan's going to be alright, too.." "They better be," Natasha sighed, flicking the hair from her eyes as she shook her head, "I hate family fights.. The sooner they clear this up, the better."

"Imouto-chan really cares about family," Kaname stated after a minute of observation, and as the female shot him a curious look, he smiled down at her gently, "You seem to worry about us a lot more than you do yourself.." "I never worry about myself, so that fact is a given," she deadpanned, shaking her head slowly, and, deciding that it was as good a time as any to lay a hint, she shot him a slight smile, "I'm immortal, and can't die, so I'm justified in worrying about others."

"Of course you are.." he chuckled, reaching up a hand to pat her head, shaking his own with a soft chuckle. "Well.. I should get going.. Have a good night, Imouto-chan.."

The pain she felt once he had left nearly made her collapse.. How was this going to work..?


	36. Chapter 8: part 3

Natasha had left Juli to wander the house, while she dressed the next morning, he'd been cooped up so often lately, she was surprised he hadn't scolded her for it.. Although… maybe it was the whole demon -death issue as the reason that he was being so careful with her.. Well..

She wasn't going to complain…

She'd gone simple with a pair of white leggings and a long sleeved, black sweater dress that hung off of her shoulders, and fell to her thighs. She had the usual metal star around her neck, the Wicken's symbol bringing her peace, and a number of black leather cuffs around her wrist. She also had a slim black ribbon choker, tied into a neat bow at the nape of her neck, and a pair of dangly silver star earrings. Over her shoulder was another bag of entertainment for Azuza, as well as a few things for herself.

She met up with Yusuke in the hallway, who looked like something off of Natsume's _Panzer of the Dead_ game.. Quite simply, he looked ready to collapse.

"Morning, nii-chan," Natasha waved to him gently, her eyes taking in his apparel. He wore a black coat-shirt, with white, twin dragons on the chest, and worn blue jeans. Were she a lesser female, she would have drooled, so, as a more sophisticated female, she kept her expression carefully composed, while she allowed herself to _mentally_ drool…

"Morning," he muttered, clearly wishing he were back under his covers, he looked over his sister after a moment of silence, his eyebrows drawing together at the new scent around her. "Nn? What's.. That smell..?" "Huh?" she looked absolutely confused, her face creased at the corners of her eyes as she squint at him, before hesitantly sniffing her shoulder, she didn't smell anything different, there was the ever present chocolaty aroma of Arrow's and her's addiction- and-..

Arrow's vanilla scent….

Didn't he say he couldn't be sensed without prompt…?

"Uhhh.. perfume..?" she offered slowly, tilting her head as he hesitated, then shook his head sharply, as if to clear his mind, before nodding to the stairs, "Go ahead, I'll follow.."

"Alright," she smiled, giving him a few seconds to see it before she started down the hall, and quickly reached the stairwell.

"Good morning," she greet Masaomi brightly once she'd reached the living room, the eldest son brooding on the couch with a cup of coffee or tea -she couldn't tell from the distance- in hand, Juli in a similar position across from him, perched silently on the coffee table.

"Chii," Juli chirped, hopping onto her shoulder without hesitation and giving her a look of concerned observation, "this guys been looking stumped for a while now.."

"Masao-nii," Natasha raised an eyebrow, her weight shifting to her hip as she gave him a slight, calming smile, "Is something wrong? You look a little out of it.. Even Juli is becoming concerned." "Waah?!" Juli gasped, shaking his head from side to side quickly in denial, "I wasn't worried about him-! I didn't want his bad attitude to affect you-!" "Keep telling yourself that.." Natasha murmured smugly into the fur of his tail, internally giggling at his fuming face.

Masaomi looked up at her with a slight smile, though it was clear that he was troubled. "It's nothing, Imouto-chan.. It's just.. Azuza emailed a list of things he wants, but.. Do you have any idea what this is..?" He had his phone out to a specific message, and Natasha leaned over slightly to read it, the katakana somehow miraculously registering as English in her brain. _Thank-You, Arrow._

"So.. manga and specific short stories.. That's not too bad.. I own like, half of these, anyway.. The rest are just anime.. It's not that confusing.." She was surprised the elder brother of a seiyuu didn't know what the majority of this was.. "Oh," the ashen haired male sighed, his tone relieved, though he was still frowning a little, "He wants to put his time to good use, then.." he groaned a little, and he grimaced down at the face of his phone, "As a doctor, though, I wish he'd rest more.."

Natasha nodded sagely in agreement, sighing as she shook her head, "Well, there's not much to do when he's already set his mind to it.." "Hey.." Masaomi's voice cut through her train of thought, and she peeked up at him with a curious tilt of her head. "I feel bad about asking this but.. Would you mind taking care of this list..? I can't really make heads or tails of this, so…" "With this many titles, it'll be a chore to buy them all," Yusuke input after Masaomi's case, his tone sounding slightly annoyed for the inconvenience. Natasha giggled, drawing the two male's eyes to her as she tapped a finger to her chin, "Leave it to the otaku.. Masaomi-nii-chan~!"

"Ngh," Yusuke clicked his tongue after a moment, Masaomi's smile directed at her as the redhead sighed, "Alright, I'll help out." "Much thanks," Natasha flashed him a smile, and she shared a quiet chuckle at Yusuke's Tsundere side. "I'm doing Azu-nii a favor after all.."

"Well then, we better hit the bookstore," Natasha grinned, linking her arm into his and giving Masaomi a conspiratorial wink, "If you can send that list to my phone, we'll pick it up asap, I have quite a few things, but there are some I'll need to purchase." "Oh-!" he reached back to his pocket at that, and held out a small folding of bills, "Then.. use this-" "Alright let's go Yu-chan-!" Natasha cut him off before he could finish, escaping with Yusuke toward the kitchen exit as if Satan were on her heels, "Bye, Masao-nii-!"

Masaomi blinked in shock at the spot she'd been in not ten seconds prior, turning his gaze to the still extended hand, before closing his fingers tightly around the offered money. "What is it with her.. And trying to do things on her own..?"

* * *

Natasha had dragged Yusuke first and foremost out for breakfast, swiping the bill before he could comprehend what she'd done and sneaking off to pay, much to his annoyance when she'd returned. He'd ranted for nearly ten minutes after that that it was an embarrassment when the girl paid for food, but she'd tuned it out by the time they'd gotten to the bookstore. While she was shopping for Azuza, she could update her manga.. Perhaps Shingeki no Kyojin had been released..?

"Sheesh," Yusuke muttered, having been browsing the manga section for a good ten minutes now, "Azu-nii could take a break while he's sick at least.." "It can't be helped," Natasha sighed, shaking her head as she inspected the next title, "For a workaholic like Azu-chan, it's only natural that he's going stir crazy.." "Jeez," he scoffed, looking at a shelf higher than she could see due to being vertically challenged, "It's like you get my big brothers better than I do.." "Pardon?" she raised an eyebrow as she found the series the needed, now, just the volume.. "N-Nothing-" Yusuke tried to chuckle, but paused.

"Found it-!" they chorused, shooting each other an incredulous look as they paused, smiled, and laughed.

Yusuke held the books while she checked off the list, humming softly to herself as she did so, "Were almost done.. Just a few more things.." Yusuke peered over her shoulder to read the list, his tone relaxed after their little laugh. "So, I guess we're going to a video store, next? We might have to hit a few different places for all of these titles.." "That's not a problem," Natasha flicked the list closed with a toss of her wrist, "While we're out I can update my anime shrines.." "You have shrines..?" Yusuke repeated, his tone dubious. Natasha grinned, "Uhuh.. But only for the ones I obsess over on a consistent basis." Yusuke sighed, shaking his head with a slight smile, "Jeez.. my little sister's an otaku-" "AND PROUD-!" Natasha cheered, launching herself into his side with a light tackle-hug. He lost his breath at the contact, grimacing when she only seemed to laugh. She left him after a few moments, and he was thankful she'd moved to go ahead of him, his face flushing spectacularly as he forced the thought of her torso pressed tightly to his away from his forefront attention...

"Y-You know-!" he started before he could stop himself, internally admitting to himself he wasn't going to be able to last much longer if he didn't cool down some. She turned back to face him with a spin of her heel, arms tucked behind her back as she looked up at him with wide, bright golden eyes. He was so going to regret this in his next life.. "We'll have to go to a lot of stores to find the DVDs.. So.. maybe we should get the books to him, first.." "That's a good idea," Natasha nodded almost immediately, her face thoughtful as she tapped her thumb to her bottom lip, "Lord knows I would have gone mad with boredom by now.. Getting these to him asap seems the best option.."

She flashed him a smile, and he swallowed, tensing his muscles reflexively to avoid stepping forward. Events following would either lead him to (least likely) glorious acceptance, and (most likely) physically painful rejection and/or ruin.

"I'll head out first, then," Natasha took the bags of books from his hand, his tense fingers twitching at the sudden lack of weight from his hands. "Bye, Yu-chan~!" she sang sweetly, waving a little as she wandered toward the exit, "I'll meet you back at home, then~!"

* * *

Unfortunately, Hiro was not on duty when she'd gotten to the hospital, but she'd luckily remembered the room and floor number. With the bag slung over her shoulder and swaying against her back, she walked casually along the mildly busy hallways. It was much more quiet than the emergency or pediatric units, but it was still surprisingly comfortable. Mostly, she surmised, due to the delicate paintings along the walls, and the earthy tones of design to the waiting areas and hallway floors.

Natasha stretched her neck as she walked, her eyes lazily drifting from one door to the next. Finally, she came across the open one with 348 outside of it, with a small, slidable paper placard that read Asahina beneath it. She came to an abrupt stop outside the door when she caught a sight of pink fabric, darting back a step so she was hidden outside the door's threshold. Voices, soft and filled with suppressed emotion, wafted from the corner where Azuza's bed was placed, the curtain meant to separate his bed from the empty ones pulled back halfway, giving her a decent view of the twins, who were leaned slightly toward one another on the bed.

"I missed you.."

"Idiot," Tsubaki scoffed, his voice nearly choking, "That's my line.." He paused, finding the words, before he continued, "You fainted and I didn't know what to think, and.." He hesitated, before forcing his gaze to the bed sheets, "I just couldn't bring myself to come." Azuza made a soft sighing sound, his smile warm and genuine, "It doesn't matter anymore.. You're here now.."

It was quiet for a second, and Natasha took a moment to create a piece of paper, pulling the sharpie pen from her bra and uncapping it with her teeth, using the wall as a hard surface as she began to write.

"I'm sorry.. For not listening to a word you said.." Tsubaki's voice drifted out of the room, but she was preoccupied in sketching a mini Natasha-chibi holding a simple blue bag. "..and stressing you out with everything.."

"I should have brought it up sooner," Azuza pitched in calmly, Natasha now working on the twin-like chibi's of her drawing, one with black sharpie hair accepting the bag and a white haired one with black outline holding hands with the black haired one with a smile, both of them looking happy and child-like. Kind of cute, actually.. "Anyone would get angry if they had that sprung on them.."

"No," Tsubaki replied, "Even if you'd have said it sooner.. I probably wouldn't have gotten it.. S-so.." Natasha heard the silence break by a shuffle of fabric, taking a moment to peak, assuring herself they were occupied, before crouching low to the ground, placing the bag inside the room with the note attacked via shiny created silver skull pin. She snuck back out of the room, grateful that Tsubaki could not see her, before returning to the hall, standing only when she was a safe distance away, enough to fist pump with a chuckle of victory. "Yosh-!"

She yawned slightly as she checked her phone, grinning at the time, and began walking. If she hurried on the last leg, she'd be able to help out with dinner, excusing her from cleanup, and ultimately giving her more time to sort out her approach for Arrow's "Grand Reveal" as she had personally dubbed it.

She found her way outside with ease and began picking her way down the steps. She hummed softly to herself as she pulled a pair of headphones from her bag, letting them lie limp around her neck as she blasted music from her created ipod. She was nearly three meters out the door, when a horn picked up beside her. She turned her head in slight curiosity, eyebrows jumping in surprise to see a head of orange hair. "Natsume..?"

"Hey," he called politely, a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, though it was almost strained, but she couldn't fathom why. "Hop in."

"I don't exactly make it a habit of hopping into men's vehicles," Natasha smirked, clicking at the device in her pocket to stop the music as she flashed him a smile, "Now if you were to offer candy, however.."

"What a brat," he muttered, but the tension had eased from his eyes and mouth, and he offered her a sarcastic look, "Mind helping me find my lost kitten, then..?" "Certainly, dear stranger-!" she chirped, practically skipping around the car to the shotgun and slipping in with an unhindered grin, "So long as I'm home before the streetlights glow~!"

They shared a soft, amused chuckle, before he pulled from the curb, and shifted into gear, carefully gliding into traffic and heading toward the route to Sunrise Residence.

"Thanks a bunch, pumpkin," Natasha flashed him a smile as they merged into a clearer lane, her teeth nearly sparkling in glee as she sat tucked in the comfortable seat. Trains weren't always a picnic. "Saves me from winding up in a train car.." "Did you stay for long?" he asked conversationally, to which she only smiled in a secretive way, and shook her head. "No.. but I did manage to sneak the manga inside.. I have the ones I bought, but I was sure to grab all the titles he asked for.."

"You had to sneak him a bag of manga…" Natsume repeated slowly, disbelief and amusement colouring his voice, "What on earth brought that on..?" "Tsubaki was having a moment with the invalid," Natasha huffed, smirking a little as she shook her head, "I wasn't going to ruin it.. I wrote a note and slid the bag in, then left.. You know.. Mission impossible style.." "So Tsubaki did go to see him," he nodded to himself slightly, before focusing on the traffic around them, "I figured he might." "As stubborn as he thinks he is, he's actually a real pushover.." Natasha shook her head slowly in mock disdain, "Both of them seem to be, actually.." "I heard this through work earlier," he spoke after a pregnant pause, "but they've settled on Tsubaki as Azuza's replacement."

"Oh, Jeez.." Natasha muttered, letting her head fall back onto her seat, "Talk about family drama.. And after the whole fight just got settled about it, too.."

"They'll be fine.." he chuckled, giving her a passing glance while she pouted beside him, "Because right now, they're trying to be there for each other.." "I knoooow," she whined, slumping a little as she grimaced, "I just have a bad feeling about something.. I don't like it.."

"Well.." he murmured, smiling a little at her childish sulking, "I don't really have anything concrete to go on.. But I can just sort of tell.." "I trust your judgement," Natasha admit casually, sitting up a little and avoiding his gaze. His eyes darted to her swiftly, before pulling back to the road, something in his jaw jumping before he continued to focus on the task a hand. "Well.. we're still triplets, after all.." "Oh yeah.." Natasha murmured idly, her elbow propped up on the door's armrest while her palm cradled her cheek, eyes glazed over as she gazed out to the orange and fading purple sky, watching the sunset with a severe calm, "That one soul thing, right?"

The car slowed as they pulled up to a red light, but she could hear his clear confusion, "What the heck is that?" Natasha tilted her head a little, but ultimately turned to face him, giving him a playful smile, "Tsubaki told me about people being born together having one soul.. And while the thought didn't immediately interest me, I pondered on the theory for a longer moment, later.. It would explain a lot of the strange occurrences between a pair of twins I used to know in my junior high days.."

"I'm sure he was talking about his link to Azuza, but.." he slid a slight smile towards her, the look becoming more gentle when he saw she was admiring the view. "Maybe I'm linked to them, too.." "I don't doubt that," she chuckled, turning to give him a flashing smile with a customary peace sign, "Even if you are the youngest, something tells me you're the most mature…"

He watched as she relaxed into the seat, his thoughts whirring a mile a minute, before they fell to her lips, almost as if he were in a daze. "Your smile will give them strength.." she looked up at him with a start, but he did his best to elaborate for her, in an effort to correct his comment, "It's selfish of me to ask.. But.. I want you to keep smiling for those two.."

"N-.. Natsume.." she murmured, wide, golden eyes blinking in surprise. A light, dusting warmth spread across her face, and her shoulders caved forward ever so slightly, her whole demeanor that of a retreating puppy. "W-What do you-..?"

"I say this," he turns enough so that he could completely look at her, and his posture was held with firm conviction, his gaze steady on her face and his smile honest. "Because there's nothing that'll make them happier.." The light seemed to have changed ages ago, and it was at that point that he switched back into gear and continued to drive. Natasha sat calmly in her seat, her expression a mixture of complexity and embarrassment, the pink refusing to leave her face, even after several silent minutes of comfortable quiet..


	37. Chapter 8: part 4

"Thanks.." Natasha smiled at him slightly as he dropped her off, his expression that same, controlled smile as before, "I should get inside.. But please be sure to get home safely.." "Promise," he nodded slightly, reaching down to pull the phone from his pocket and waving the tiny device toward her, as if in mocking comfort, "I'll be sure to report my safe arrival as well.." "Be safe, Natsume," she was suddenly serious, and he paused at the look of severe concentration on her face, "I still have a really bad feeling, so please.."

"I'll be careful," he spoke again, but this time it was much more mellow, much more warm, "Now get inside," his voice was abruptly back to being brotherly/bossy and touched with Tsundere salt, "I don't need you getting sick, too.." "Aye, Sir-!" She saluted him mockingly before she made her way inside, her personal bag of manga at her hip and her shoulder bag falling down her arm, caught at her elbow as she tread her way into the house. "Honey~! I'm _hooome~_!"

"Welcome back, Onee-chan~!" A familiar, overly hyper voice caressed her ears as she came into the living room, an immediate smile lighting up her face as she laid eyes on the wonderfully energetic Wataru. "Oh~!" his eyes seemed to light up on the bag in her hands, and she smiled, moving until she collapsed onto the couch beside him as he became even more hyper, nearly bouncing in his seat with his excitement, "Is that manga-?! Gimme- Gimme-!" "Hey-Hey-!" Natasha mimicked his whiney tone with her own grin, holding the bag up and out of his reach, though with their only slight difference in sitting height, it was almost laughable, "Chill~! Chill~! I got you some-! But I have mine in here, too-!" She barely got the reprieve of his energy to slip a single book out of the bag, handing it to him carefully before closing it once again.. If her brothers caught wind of what she was doing.. ... _Or reading_...

"Oah~!" Wataru cheered, eyes lighting up at the shonen manga, the one she _didn't_ specifically look for, and _didn't_ completely pull out of her ass for her editor's second series proposition.. "It looks so cool~!" "Unfortunately I haven't read that one yet, so I'm expecting feedback," she pinched his cheek playfully before she tucked the bag beneath her arm, patting herself on the back for her acting. Yusuke's eyes watching her from the opposite couch with an expression of confusion, "You didn't get the books to Azuza?" "Oh no, I did.. It's just that, Tsubaki was there.. And I didn't want to impinge on the moment.." she shook her head, jerking her chin to the bag casually, "These are the personal purchases I made.." "Oh, so he did get around to it," Yusuke murmured, approval lacing his tone. Ukyo also contributed to the conversation, but Wataru was already diving into his new manga..

"Oh?" Ukyo lowered his paper, but he had only been half paying attention in the first place, "He did? I'm glad to hear it." He set the paper completely down, and his eyes lit up, as if he just remembered something, true to her predictions, he gave her an expression cross between polite informant an apologetic timing, "That just reminded me.." She knew it- "To apply for a passport, you'd need an official copy of the family registry, so I had one sent over to the offices.. Please pick it up when you have time." "Thank you very much, Ukyo," Natasha grinned, rubbing the back of her neck in slight embarrassment, "I'm still clueless about how the whole passport thing works.. So this really helps.."

"Onee-chan~! Onee-chan~!" Wataru cheered, hugging her side as he smiled up at her, "Thank you for the manga~!" "It's fine, Taru-chan~" Natasha said in a sing-song voice, nuzzling his face with her own as she giggled, _god he was so cute._. "I'm an otaku~! So this stuff is fun for me~!"

"I never would have guessed you were an otaku," Yusuke mentioned after a few minutes of the two cuddling. He's pushed away the annoyance of watching Wataru snuggle his sister's chest.. Instead forcing himself to focus on something else. "You were always so quiet and reserved in school.."

"Welp," Natasha shrugged, leaning back on the couch with a slight frown, "I'm not one to deal with people outside of my inner circle.. I can be polite.. But.. if a stranger oversteps a line, it kind of flicks a switch for me to start caring about that person.." She paused for a moment, before she perked up, her eyes snapping to him with a grin, "-Like you-!" He jerked in surprise at that, and she lifted her hand, pointing to the nape of her neck, her expression thoughtful, "Didn't you get surrounded by a bunch of jerks at school.. And when I finally got to talk to you.. I complimented your hair..?"

He remembered that.

He _definitely_ remembered that.

So _how the hell does she still remember that?!_

"U-Un.." He gave a slight nod, his face immediately flushing a bright crimson. Natasha continued to smile to him, but a soft chime from her pocket drew her attention away, a song in a different language playing until she flicked her phone open. Her eyes slid across the screen, and he swallowed as he watched her smile fade into a thoughtful look. She nodded to herself, and flicked the phone closed, smiling once more as she pet Wataru's salmon colored hair, "Well, it's been a long day.. I think I'll rest until dinner.."

"Of course," Ukyo nodded, standing with a slight smile on his lips, "I'll send someone to get you." "Laters~!" Natasha waved once more to her brothers, as she turned to leave, holding out her arm so Juli could climb quickly up to her shoulder. She was looking forward to that nap...

* * *

 _"Bao… I'm getting tired of this shit…."_

The white haired female, clad in only a flowing, sleeveless white ball gown, and a pair of sterling silver colored stilettos, had been walking through a never ending entrance hall for what felt like the past two hours... It was the same, bright red carpet.. The same shining black tiles.. The same shining black walls.. The same clear, reflective arched glass windows.. The same dark, glittering sky.. The same full, blood red moon.. The same shining silver pillars.. The same _giant-ass-door at the end of the hallway that kept getting further away_ -! "I"M GETTING TIRED OF THIS SHIT-!" She roared, falling to her knees and face planting into the carpet, "FUCK THIS SHIT-! I AM TAKING A NAP-!"

She closed her eyes gently and curled up her body, her arms wrapping the length of the dress up around her legs so she was protected from pervy eyes. She sighed softly, and relaxed into the thin, yet oddly comfortable aisle rug, letting her heartbeat fill her ears and calm her down. It wasn't thirty seconds later that she felt foreign breath on her cheek, and a cold finger run delicately down the side of her face. She shuddered from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair, her eyes popping open immediately to see a person she knew for an absolute fact she'd never seen in her life.. This one _or_ the last...

He had bright orange hair, and rather pale skin, with a dark purple, almost black, flowery-vine-like tattoo curling around his right eye, down his jaw, down his neck, and disappearing into the high collar of his jacket. Despite the high collar however, that seemed to be the only part of the piece other than the sleeves, his "Shirt" if one could call it that, being a sort of male corset bound tightly around his waist, with a single, starched white puff of a liner beneath it, covering up his chest, but exposing the full view of his collar bones. The male's eyes were a bright fuchsia color, the same as his thin line of lip paint, and he had a set of fangs, if his grin was anything to go by. He had tight, black leather pants, and a pair of shiny, white-grey boots. His sleeves tapered off around his middle knuckle, where a silver ring held the fabric in place on each hand. His hair was shaped in a cross between Uchiha Sasuke of Naruto and Hitsugaya Toushiro of Bleach. His expression better fitting of Aido of Vampire Knight. Cue shudder.

"What are you doing?" he asked casually, his eyes lidded lazily and his sultry smirk displaying a slight fang. "The party's up ahead.." "Party…?" she repeated slowly, sitting up with focused, controlled movements. She took care to keep her dress locked tight around her legs, but the stranger seemed focused completely on her eyes. "What party..?"

"The one announcing Lady Natasha's arrival, of course," he seemed surprised now, his eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline as he gave her a dumbfounded look, "Surely you were invited, otherwise you wouldn't be here.." He looked thoughtful for a moment, putting a hand to his chin in thought as he spoke, seemingly to himself, showing off his black lacquered nails, "Then again.. Sir Bao has summoned people at random in the past.." "BAO is here-?!" she repeated sharply, and he jerked back to attention at her sharp look, "Where is that asshole-?!" "Sir Bao..?" he repeated slowly, his eyes drawing nearly closed in his confused squint, head tilting ever so slightly, "I've never met someone to speak his name so callously.." Nevermind that, then," Natasha huffed sharply, before taking a deep calming breath, and giving the male a polite smile, "What is your name?"

He blinked at her again, stunned about something, though she couldn't decipher what, per say.. Suddenly, he perked right up, and he almost looked younger, his hands clasping between his legs as he sat across from her, still on his knees, "My name is Jax-! It's a pleasure to meet you, miss..?"

"I'll hold off on my name for now," she evaded the question calmly, before shifting her legs, getting to her feet with ease before holding out a hand for the boy. He blinked at his slowly, unsure of what she wanted, and it was clear on his face. She sighed, hiding her eyeroll, and reached down lower, grasping his hands and hauling him up off the floor to stand with her, almost angry about finding out she was once again the midget, and he stood about a half foot taller than her. "It's nice to meet you, Jax," she started calmly, his surprise and deadpanned expression stuck on his face as she stared at him. She touched him.. _TOUCHED HIM_... And she wasn't _sweating_.. Or _weak_.. What _was_ this..? "But I seem to be stuck in this hallway.. I've been trying to get to the door for a while now, but It seems I'm unable to reach it." She seemed not to notice his gawking, so he attempted to control his expression.

He blinked away his extreme curiosity, before he gave her a small, curious smile, "Huh.. Would you like an escort, then, my lady..?" "Please don't call me that," she deadpanned, and his eyebrows raised in absolute shock. What noble didn't use the title? Better yet, what female came in such a pure coloured dress to a demon celebration..? "I would appreciate it," she smiled to him slightly, and he could see lines of exhaustion beside her bright, golden eyes. There wasn't anything special about the girl, to a human, her hair may seem odd, but to a demon, the odd colors were merely a show of aptitude.. Beauty, even.. She had pale-ish skin, and a light dusting of freckles.. Though that was sort of new.. He'd never met a demoness with freckles.. Females usually prefered completely clear complexions, if not for intentional beauty marks.. "Shall we..?" he held out his arm gallantly with his feet poised beneath him, his expression much more bright and charming. This woman was piquing his interest.. And to an incubi… Curiosity was nearly as harmful as a feline's..

Natasha slipped her arm through his with a sigh of relief, allowing her dress to billow behind her as they walked, the waves of white silk sliding against her legs and flowing around them almost like a cloud. Natasha felt him chuckle beneath her hold, but when they'd started to actually move through the hallway, the door didn't move farther back, instead, staying in place until they'd actually walked the fifty meters to get to it. Jax shot her a grin, and she nodded, watching as he used his hand to push the door open smoothly, holding it open with one arm while the other folded over his chest, giving her a slight bow at her look of confusion, the bright yellow light from inside irrelevant compared to his sudden subservient attitude.

"After you," he spoke politely, and she hesitated, before wringing her hands in front of her, "Will.. you be coming..?" He darted his eyes up to her quickly, gauging her expression, before offering her a slight smile, "If that is what you wish, I will remain your escort." "Please," she nodded, sighing in relief when he'd taken her arm again, and lead her into the light, the door slowly clicking shut behind them.

The room as filled with clustered of colorfully and darkly dressed adults and young adolescents.. As well as a few age-wary looking people.. No children.. About four hundred or so, if she were to make a guess.. There were circular tables placed in a strategic pattern around the room, the white tablecloths lied out with crystal dishes, goblets, and bright, blood red roses in large bouquets. The majority of the people were standing in gossip circles, socializing with one another with varying levels of laughter, conspiratorial whispers, and the, more often than she'd prefer, sexual flirting.. Eww…

The room was covered in large sconces of golden fire, an enormous crystal chandelier spinning lovely above everyone's heads. At the farthermost end of the room of the door, a platform sat about eight feet above the main black marble floors, a large, throne-like seat of red velvet, and animals furs sitting imposingly and regally in the center, a pair of blood red curtains behind it drawn back with golden ropes and gleaming tassels, showing off a large three meter sized painting of who she could only assumed to be Bao, due to the face structure and obvious glowing red eyes. _Talk about morbid_.. She physically shuddered when several pairs of eyes snapped to them, and she nearly clung to the boy's arm like a lifeline, her back ramrod straight and her shoulders a hair away from trembling. "You alright..?" the male's soft voice cut into her silent panic, and she flashed him a quick, forced smile, "Never better.. So.."

Her words trailed off as she tried to come up with some sort of conversation, but when he was only met with tense silence, Jax smiled, internally sighing before he lead her toward one of the many tables surrounding the room, this one covered from end to end, like the majority of the rest, with all types of different foods.. Some from her world.. Others looking so ridiculous, that they looked to belong to a child's drawing book.. _A purple and pink striped hourglass fruit..?_

"You should try the fruit," he offered casually, his voice lowered, but cool enough not to be intimidating, "There's also wines, and other liquors.." "Is there.. Is there any milk..?" He blinked at her slowly, trying to gauge if she were being serious, and, seeing no deception on her face, tilted his head, before nodding, waving his hand briefly into the air. As if summoned, a human-like creature, with an eighteenth century butler's suit, complete with a cravat and gloves, and a large pair of silvery-green ram horns, appeared almost out of thin air, holding a silver tray delicately in one hand, lowering it just enough for it to be in front of her.

She hesitated, before taking a single champagne flute, sniffing at the rim of the glass, before taking a mouthful of the white liquid, and sighing in relief. She really needed to calm down.. "Is it to your tastes?" he asked politely, grinning when she gave him a small, thankful smile. "Yes, thank you, Jax.." she nodded, patting his arm slightly to assure him before taking another calming sip.

"So.." she murmured after a few moments, the eyes on the back of her head unrelenting as Jax began to lead her in a slow, casual walk toward an empty table a few paces away, "Has.. uh.. Has anyone ever seen this, "Natasha"-person..?" He seemed startled by her question, the grip on her hand momentary tightening in warning, though it wasn't a threatening-type-of-way.. "Keep your voice low.. She is _Lady_ Natasha to us.. Sir Bao would have our necks for so much as _breathing_ otherwise.."

 _Was this woman raised in a pauper's den…? That or she's extraordinarily sheltered..._

"Right, right.." she murmured noncommittally, before taking the seat he gently pulled out for her, before sitting beside her, at an angle so they were casually facing one another. "So, has anyone met this woman..?" "Sir Bao has," he nodded, his smile warm and teasing, "He says she is extraordinarily exotic.. But off limits.." _Well I would fucking hope so_.. The female internally seethed, tossing back the rest of her milk delicately before setting the glass down, and appraising the room with her eyes. "So.. what exactly is the point of this gathering..?"

Jax perked up immediately, and he clasped his hands to his chest in obvious delight, "Oh~! That's the best part-! Master is going to propose to Lady Natasha so she may-" Natasha choked on literal air, her eyes wide as she stared at him in complete shock. He had reaching over to pat her back comfortingly, an expression of sympathy on his face. _She's probably one of the females after Sir Bao.._

"Does.. Does this.. Lady Natasha, person..?" she started slowly, to convey her utter confusion, "Does she know about the proposal..?" "Oh no," Jax shook his head immediately from side to side, his big fuchsia eyes appearing almost puppy-like as he perched in his seat delicately, "Master has expressed utmost importance that it remain a secret. He is one for large romantic gestures.." He smiled fondly to the air, then, and she could almost _imagine_ this guy as a fanboi.. Dear god…

"That's.. Sort of smart.." she admit after a few moments, tapping her thumb gently to her lip, "If she'd known about the proposal, she'd never come.." Jax gasped a little, his expression conveying his utter disbelief, "But.. but why..? Master is.." "A pervert," she lifted up a fist, and began ticking off her fingers, each word giving Jax a slight flinch.

"A hypocrite."

 _Flinch._

"A narcissist."

 _Twitch._

"An egomaniac."

 _Jerk._

"A manipulator- and a creep."

 _Crack._

Natasha glanced over to see Jax practically dead on the table, his eyes wide and his jaw slack, staring at the woman as if she were an apparition with several heads, spare limbs, and speaking a foreign tongue, his face pale as he tried to understand the situation. A smaller voice in the back of his head demanded that he defend his master's honor, while a larger, more prominent forethought, wondered about this female's mental conditions.. If she were raised elsewhere with different manners or if she were truly mad.. Both had a near equal possibility...

A loud clamour suddenly came from the crowds of demons around the room, the whispers muted but loud enough to detect excitement. Natasha turned her body slightly toward the commotion, but Jax had completely perked up, his fuchsia eyes shining brightly as he stood, and made a sort of bow toward the front doorway, a large number of the males doing the same around the room, others who bowed their heads, and every female rising to give an elegant curtsy. Natasha stood as well, listening to a chorus of hidden trumpets play an entry tune, before the doors were pulled open by two shorter demon boys, each in waistcoats and knee-length shorts, as well as a pair of hair-colour-coordinated cat ears and sleek tails.. _Not a bad combination, actually.. Kind of cute..._

A pair of footmen scurried through the door, and cut through the crowd directly toward the throne, the throngs of bodies parting like the Red sea in their wake. There was immediate silence, and all eyes watched as a tall, lean figure dressed in black leathers, and dark animal skins entered the room.. His hair was the color of ink, and pooled around his shoulders in slight waves. He was fair skinned, with a straight nose, blood eyes, and two, small fangs bites in his lower lip. It took her a moment to actually figure out that _this guy_ was _Bao_.. I mean.. _Come on_.. He did _not_ clean himself up _that_ well when he 'talked' to _her… The jerk._..

His steps were slow, and smooth, his overall gait confident and relaxed as the silent room filled with his footfalls. One could nearly hear his breathing in the silence. Everyone, except for Natasha, remained bowed or curtsied until he passed, having immediately ducked beneath the table at recognition and found herself in a comfortable ball beneath the floor length pristine tablecloth.

Bao took a slow, leisurely look around the room once he had reached his platform, the polite applause of the guests rising, then gradually lowering when he cleared his throat.

Natasha grit her teeth as she clenched her fingers, wishing for something hard to bite on. Almost instantly, she felt her lips part, and a hard, smooth surface lock between her teeth. Out of reflex, she bit down, and, feeling slight pain, reached up to pull the object immediately away from her mouth. She gazed down at the medical stick slowly, her brain working nearly a mile a minute as she processed the information, before a slow, creeping, cruel smile curved around her mouth, and she snapped it in half, gripping the pieces in sadistic pleasure.. _Looks like playtime came a bit early.._


	38. Chapter 8: part 5

Bao looked out over the respectful, eager expressions of the court, his lips twisting up in a pleased smile.. Soon.. soon there would be many more spoils to spread.. Soon.. there would be a more just reason for celebration.. And, speaking of which..

"Jax," he called calmly, his arms behind his back calmly as he waited mere moments before his orange-haired servant appeared at the foot of the platform, on one knee with a clawed hand over his heart. "You called for me, master?"

"Yes," he smiled, tilting his head ever so slightly before he lowered his voice, "I would like you to go and traverse the hallways for a time.. A woman will no doubt be lost and confused.. She should be arriving shortly, and I would like for you to escort her.."

"Of course, sir," Jax nodded without hesitation, his gaze trained on his master's, "Anything else?" "Be sure she doesn't kill you," Bao grinned, flashing his pristine white teeth, his expression clearly amused and excited, "The poor dear hasn't had such a good impression of demons, yet, so tread wisely.. and.. " he shot the boy a look, then, his aura flickering with underlying meaning, "Bring her by all means necessary.. _But do not directly touch her._." "Of course," Jax nodded calmly, disappearing almost immediately after Bao had flicked his wrist.

Turning his gaze to the eternally patient crowds, he flashed a firm, but pleasant smile. He vaguely noticed the females with near predatory gazes, but he brushed it off, soon, he reminded himself.. _Soon_ ..

"I thank you all for coming, with such short notice.. And, as you have been informed, I have finally been in contact with the newest angel.." There were a smattering of unsatisfied grumbles, but when he'd cleared his throat, there was instant silence, and he continued. "What you may not be aware of, however, is that she is not a follower of _His_.." The tension escalated immediately, with every demon metaphorically on the edge of their seats. _This changes things…_

* * *

"Thinks he can try pulling this shit on me.." she muttered under her breath, the plan forming in her mind like a beacon, "I just wanted a damned nap.. Of _course_ he'd want to fuck with me _now_.."

And so.. She readied her resolve.. Lets see how badly he'd want her to join after _this…_

* * *

"She is neutral, as far as we are able to observe.. And she has made no move toward either party in terms of alignment.. I currently have a follower watching over her.. But be certain that a more suitable guard will be in place, eventually.. She is a key asset to our success.. There is simply one task for each of you.." Natasha curled her fingers experimentally, picturing the biggest, most heavy rock she could, trying to focus on weight and shape, her ears barely picking up his next words.

"I want her to feel _welcomed_ when she arrives.. She may _very well_ become your new queen.. And that is completely her decision.. You will do _well_ to watch your words and actions around her, _and myself_.." Something dark seemed to settle on his tongue, and the ice that swept through the room made her grateful she was hidden beneath the table. He sounded absolutely _cold…_ And this was Hell.. _Damn_ …

Natasha hesitated, before she lifted up the hem of the cloth, just high enough for her to peek, her dress blending into the tablecloth enough for her to be sufficiently blended. It took her a few moments to find Bao, standing above the crowd, well, sitting, now, stretched out in his chair. Music seemed to kick up, slowly at first, before returning to the upbeat, fresh ballroom melody. Couples seemed to sense the cue of 'Either partner up and dance or back the hell up' very well, moving as if they were all one body to separate and mingle or partner to dance an elegant waltz..

She took a quick, deep breath, before she snuck back into her seat, darting her eyes in an assessment of her surroundings, and , satisfied that she went unnoticed, grinned, and trailed her eyes around the room for possible fuckery.

It only took two seconds for a plan to form.

 _Happy Fucking Birthday, Natasha…._

* * *

Bao lounged delicately in his throne seat, his eyes lidded lazily as he waited for the arrival of the captive princess. His thoughts were muddled with possible conversations to have, the majority of where his responses would need to be unplanned. She was a naural bull-shit detector, he'd noted as much in their first meeting, but he'd need to do some serious topic skirting if he even wanted to _begin_ piquing her interest. He had a handful of men he'd like her to meet, and even more women.. Surely, a female mind could understand a female better than a man..? For the first time, in his existence, he was unsure about the next step in such a crucial mission. Trickery had failed. Seduction had backfired. All that's left was bribery. And it was nearing the end of _both_ of their patience.

It as an extremely low sound, but it was enough to put everyone in the room into silence, even the musicians cut off mid sonata to turn their heads toward the room's entrance. The sound was gradually growing louder, the low thumping now becoming lowder, fast-paced rumbles that seemed to shake the flames of the sconces. The crystal chandelier above them even began to shake, tinkling against itself like a scorned child.

No one was prepared for Jax to burst into the room again, his corset torn, his already messy-hair windswept, and stuck to him in cold sweat. He was panting heavily, his clothes ruffled and torn in some places, and a smattering of blood was painted against his left knee. He quickly threw the doors closed again, pressing his back against it as the grumbling steadily grew louder. Bao stood from his seat, darting out of his seat, through the air, and landing almost a half second after the show and glaring lightly as his obviously distressed servant. He opened his mouth to demand what had happened, no doubt she'd tried something, but when his servant's eyes began leaking a fresh set of crystal hued tears, he felt his own snap open with shock.

"Bulls."

 _….What…?_

It took him several seconds to actually process what was said before a large bang came against the door, the sounds now thunderous in their ears as roars seemed to come from the opposite side of the thick, golden barrier. It only grew louder, and while he steps lessened, they still remained loud. It took him a few more seconds to pull his servant away by the scruff of his neck, glaring down at the incubi with unrelenting annoyance. "Care to explain..?" "I don't know-!" he started quickly, the honesty clear as day to his master as he continued to nearly bawl at his master's feet, once he'd been released. "I was looking for Lady Natasha when I heard a loud sound.. I went to check and about ten of those things rushed me and started chasing me-!" Another loud bang, and another loud screech.

* * *

Natasha stood among the now slightly concerned bystanders, though most were too invested in nursing their glasses of scotch and wine to really be concerned. However, when the silver haired female's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, a large, sharp crack shot through the door, and it split in half, bursting open with a screech of protest and crashing against the walls. The guests, as well as Jax and Bao jolted back several paces, the open doorway revealing large, silver bulls with glowing blood red eyes. They were bucking, roaring, and steaming from the nose and ears, pushing against each other to get in while the guests finally started screaming, and rushing to the back of the room. Bao looked stunned by the entirety of it all, staring as the seven foot beasts began bucking into the room, flipping tables, destroying food, and fighting one another in an obvious attempt to destroy.

Natasha slipped out of the room with ease, beginning her trek through the now _normally_ lengthened hallway. She crossed through several more rooms before she finally stopped, out of frustration, and flexed her left hand, lifting it to the light of a sconce to examine it in the candle light. The emerald stone gleaned against the gold, and she hesitated, before bringing it up to her face, her voice low, and unsure.

"Uhm.. Arrow… you there..?"

She had all but two seconds of quiet before her ring was practically _vibrating_ with the intense volume of Arrow's obvious ire.

"NATASHA TSUKINO WOLFE WHERE IN GOD'S NAME ARE YOU AND WHY IN THE NINE HEAVEN'S CAN'T I TRACK YOUR SORRY ASS?!"

Natasha held her hand as far away from her as she could, her ears ringing in her stunned silence, before she replied, tentative and placating, "I _think_ I'm in _Hell_ …."

* * *

"Of all of the brainless things you could do..!"

Arrow was currently treating her ankles with a soothing cream, the blisters from the heels stinging whenever she took a single step.

"I mean seriously, _a stampede of bulls_?! What are you, _five-_?!"

"Would you have preferred, rhinoceri..?" Natasha deadpanned, flinching with an audible hiss at his unintentional prodding. "I'm not subtle. You know this-!"

Said painful aforementioned torture devices were set up primly upon her desk, glinting in the lamp light. The dress had been put on a hanger, and was currently hanging from the top edge of her closet door, so it didn't drag on the ground. Why didn't she get rid of it, you ask..? Well.. It just so happens, she decided it would look good on Hikaru… Plus she could alter the shoes for his size as well, later..

"That doesn't excuse your reckless behavior-!" Arrow nearly roared, his face set in rage. She flinched at the look and tone, but she was still slightly relaxed. She knew he'd never hurt her. He was just royally pissed at his brother. "In the thirty minutes of your absence, I've had to hide twice _-twice-_ to avoid being seen by that hairdresser-! And your little rodent has already run off to fetch him in emergency-! By the time I found him I barely managed to teleport back here before I was seen-! That child is-"

"Louis-?!" Natasha snapped, and Arrow stopped, looking at her with surprise, "Yes, the child you seem to recognize as a kit-" "How can he _see_ you?!" she demanded slowly, and he rocked back to sit on his heels, still hovering over her on the bed, the herbal remedies scattered around them. "I don't know.." He was clearly stumped, and obviously uncomfortable that a human could see him. He'd then explained that he found this particular fact out one day, you guessed it, spying on him.. He'd been getting a feel for each male's set patterns, and had wound up in Louis's hair shop…

* * *

 _Arrow sighed as he stood behind the gossiping women, most in their late twenties, early thirties, all of whom were patiently waiting for the single male on staff at the moment to call for the next customer. Said male was still in his comfortable clothes, the sky blue, white polka dotted hoodie, and the magenta pants, but he'd worn soft white slippers as shoes, now. Arrow leaned up against a wall with a soft groan, pressing his fingers to his temple in an effort to relieve the irritation. He was certainly grateful that his charge did not partake in regular activities such as these.._

 _Hours seemed to pass, and one by one, the women were tended to, the other two female employees giving up after the second hour and calling it quits for the day, asking the Asahina to lock up behind him before they left. He'd waited another hour, before the last female left, and he closed his eyes, letting the emerald orbs relax while he listened to the soft sweeping motion of the male's broom, cleaning up his workspace._

 _"Ah.. I am.. Ready for you, now.." The man suddenly spoke, and Arrow perked his head up, glancing toward the door, to see if a straggler had come in, or if he'd missed a person in the chairs.. But.. seeing nothing, he blinked, and slowly turned his head back to the boy. Said boy was staring at him. Straight at him, blinking owlishly and completely at ease. He chanced a glance behind himself, seeing no one in the small space, nor anyone peeking through the windows, before he turned his face back to the boy, silently thanking Natasha for giving him updated human currency should he get a craving for chocolate.. Said fix was partly unwrapped in his hand, but he managed to offer the suddenly dangerous child a small smile, "Sure, thank you."_

 _He strode toward the chair with casual grace, although, inside his mind, he was on the verge of panic. This boy could see him. And not just any boy, but Natasha's new brother.. Now, his wouldn't be a problem, if it weren't for the fact that he didn't want him asking unnecessary questions.._

 _Thank Him he remembered to keep his wings tucked in his back._

 _"So.. what will.. It be?" the soft spoken male asked calmly, already in the process of gathering pre-ritual haircare products, mouse, lather, combs and clips. Arrow thought about it, before giving a sheepish shrug. If he didn't want busted, he better play along. "I'm not sure," he admit calmly, turning his gaze to the shining mirror in front of him, his expression neutral, "I'd like to keep it relatively long, though." "Understood.." Louis spoke softly, running his fingers through the soft tresses. The ash blonde was surprised at the almost inhumanly soft texture, almost identical to his sister's, but brushed it off. He could fantasize about styling it differently in his dreams, later.. For now, he had work._

 _Arrow spent nearly two hours in that salon, and it was well past closing time when he was finally released. He'd been washed, rinsed, clipped, dyed, highlighted, dried again, fluffed, and styled. And he now had a relatively attractive surfer's mane of golden hair, with lighter golden highlights and almost brown undertones._

 _He'd paid the boy, and left shortly after, thanking him politely for the treatment before he'd gone back to work. He'd still have to study the brothers.. But perhaps he'd finish Louis's schedule from the rooftops..?_

* * *

"So _that's why_ you came home looking like you stepped off Miami Strip.." Natasha awed casually from her perch against her army of pillows, and Arrow rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue in annoyance before he glared t her. It was silent for a few moments, before she looked up from examining her feet. "What is it? What do you need?" "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he nearly spit the words, but they both knew his anger wasn't directed toward her. Far from it. Instead, she reached out a hand, patting his shoulder consolingly before she spoke, her voice low and gentle.

"Arrow.. It's alright, I'm fine.." she murmured. Arrow pared her a single, sharp glance, before she was enveloped in his arms, her face pressed tightly against his soft clothed chest and nearly constricting her breathing.. But..

It felt nice..

And as they sat there, just comforting one another, reassuring each other that they were not alone, Natasha made a choice. One she knew she'd never regret.

 _I choose Humanity…. I refuse to lose this..._

A sharp knock at her door startled the girl enough to be sent tumbling off of the bed, hitting the floor with an audible thump and pained cry. The knocking stopped, before starting back abruptly again, this time a voice calling out with renewed concern. "Natasha-?! Are you in here-?! Are you alright?!"

"I- I'm fine-!" Natasha called out in a calm, reassuring one, thinking fast before she snapped her fingers, the clothes on her body traded for a single, slightly damp, fluffy blue towel. She imaged small bits of water on her skin, and the limp strands of damp, silver hair. She let her hair weigh down, ever so slightly, and she sighed in relief, hurrying to the door and opening it without hesitation, having to immediately lift her eyes up to see Iori standing there with a startled expression. "Hey," Natasha smiled, her expression overall calm as she looked up at him, "Did you need something?"

Iori simply stared at her for a few long moments, his lips parting and closing like a fish. He struggled to bring words to mind, but it was oddly blank, his eyes stuck on the soft droplets of water that fell from the tips of her hair, down to her collarbone, the fine shape against her creamy skin nearly glowing from the hallway light.

"Ahm.. d- dinner.." Iori stumbled, his eyes blinking rapidly before he suddenly snapped back into his body, much like a taut rubber band, and shot straight up, his posture rigid as he forced his face to the side, eyes trained on a nearby vase. "D-Dinner's ready, but Louis thought you'd gone somewhere.. He tried knocking earlier but no one answered.." "Aah," she nodded sagely, the lie on her lips before she thought too much about it. "Sorry, I fell asleep in the tub.. Kind of slipped when you knocked, though.." She flashed him a smile, but the damage was done. His neck, cheeks, and ears were tinged a rosy pink, and his eyes were forcibly trained sharply further down the hallway. "Well.. dinner is ready, so.."

"Alright, just let me get dressed," she nodded, tilting her head before she pulled the door open wider, "Would you prefer to come in and wait or-" "I'm fine," he quipped politely, his arms locking behind his back as he rocked onto his heels, his smile trained, but the skin around his eyes tight with nerves.

She'd shut the door after a casual, "Okay," the slate haired male taking a moment to let out a deep, relieved breath, before he relaxed against the wall, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Something told him she was completely oblivious to uncomfortable situations like this.. A least, about herself..

 _She's childish.. But she can be mature.._ Iori started to internally ponder over this whole mess that has become his interest into his newest sibling. _Sibling_ … now there was a word that brought chills to his spine.. _She's kind, and caring.. But she doesn't hesitate to put us in our places…_ his lips twisted up in a smile, remembering Futo's curry-hair after a particularly eventful dinner.. _She's just so perfect… Her quirks make her more so.. But._. The word 'sibling' echoed once more in his mind, and he resisted the urge to scrunch his face up in distress…

 _It just had to be her..._

* * *

After a slightly winded explanation to the concerned older males that she'd fallen asleep, and was unable to hear the knocking and calls of both Louis and Yusuke, they reluctantly let the issue go, though not without giving her a proper scolding about managing things like that better in the future. Dinner was normal, and she'd reined Yusuke of their bet (the results were in with Natasha winning the butler contest- she'd also received a box of chocolates as prize), so he would be doing dishes, also dictating that her weeks worth of servitude would be postponed until further notice- as she was too preoccupied with Azuza's sickness, her next manuscript, and the impending doom that would come with revealing her circumstantial existence to her brothers.

She'd leave Rintarou out of it..

For as long as she could help it, at least..

She'd spent the rest of the night finishing her manuscript, and going over a few more necessary questions. Most of which involved sutra protection and inter-dimensional travel.

 _"So if I were to make a mental sutra, I'd protect myself," she clarified after Arrow's weekly ability lesson. "But if I were to make a physical sutra it could protect others..?" "That's right," the blonde nodded, firmly, eyes closed as he sat priest-style across from her on the soft cream rug of her floor, "Seeing as you will not be swayed in your decision to inform your siblings, I have no choice but to intervene to inform you of your responsibilities to their safety." "That's understandable," she nodded calmly, her voice even and soft, "I planned on protecting them, with or without divine intervention."_

 _"You may as well use it if it's available," Arrow deadpanned, sighing before he continued, "All right.. out with it.. What's on your mind.." She didn't speak for a moment, and he continued, "I know that look.." he muttered, almost scornfully, beneath his breath, "That's the look you make before making a very poor life decision.."_

 _"Is.. Is there any way for me to pass my gift onto other people..?"_

 _"Where did this come from?" he demanded without pause, his eyes snapping to hers with firm determination, however, her own orbs were drawn in obvious anxiety and doubt._

 _"I want to know if I can control these enough to share it.." she murmured, twirling her fingers through her hair and pulling at it tightly so she would focus on the present moment. "It's not for what you're thinking.. I just want to know if I could make it so the others could.._ Travel _…."_

 _"You cannot give anyone your gifts," he spoke after several tense minutes of silence, the female had adopted a meditative position, her forearms on her knees and her back straight. "It's simply not possible.. They are a part of your entire being.. It's part of both your body and your mind.. Only you can control it.. And only you are able to have it.. That is why they are_ your's _.." "So.." she murmured, her heart suddenly three times heavier than before, "There's no way I can give them the ability to travel.."_

 _"My apologies, " Arrow murmured, after a tense moment, before the wheels in his mind began to churn, "But.. there may be a way of taking them somewhere on your own.. They can't_ have _the gift.. But to reap the effects of it are not completely impossible.. You use_ Creation _for their benefit frequently, yes?"_

 _"Yeah," she nodded, and he could finally see the hope that brought a steady light to her golden orbs, watching as she turned her head to the darkened sky, "I do…"_

Natasha set spread the nine sutras in her hand out like a graceful fan, just enough for her to read the words painted in holy ink on the surfaces.

 _Lock_

 _Burn_

 _Freeze_

 _Air_

 _Rock_

 _Gravity_

 _Wings_

 _Sleep_

 _Forget_

The last one was for absolute failure in their plans. Worst came to worst, she'd try to erase their memories, and most likely run away from the apartments after, since she'd feel too guilty about staying.. She knew herself too well to even imagine staying if that result came out of this...

"You seem nervous," Arrow unnecessarily pointed out from his position lounged out along her bed, as if he owned the thing, and chewing merrily at a large chocolate bar. The night had been long, and she hadn't slept, although that was normal, but was instead working on her sutra's strength. Gradually, they were getting better, but she was certain with a few more nights, they would come with ease.

One cannot just automatically assume they can master something over night..

That's stupid..

Natasha sighed, folding the papers back into their thin, lined order, before tucking them into her left sleeve, moving to grab the hairbrush from her desk and attempt to tame her nest of white locks. She'd just visited Azuza yesterday, but she'd still need to drop of the anime's and DVD's today. Speaking of which..

"Where _exactly_ do you go through all hours of the day?" Natasha asked casually from her seat at the desk, ink and tools already put away. "I only seem to receive your visits once a week any more.." "I've been visiting more recently," he whined, clearly annoyed by her prodding, but answered, nonetheless, "Believe it or not, Heaven and Hell have just as much paperwork as a corporation on Earth.. We have to deal with soul records and guardian angel charges just as much as you humans deal with stock markets or taxes.. Except, we don't exactly reap benefits or get vacations once a year.."

"Don't you get Christmas off?" she sounded astounded, "Easter?"

"That didn't happen," he deadpanned, "Jesus Christ, Noah's Ark, none of it. The lord did not bear a human son. There was no great flood. Those are merely pipe dreams of crazed humans in fearful times. We'd attempt to correct them, but the time it would take outweighs the will to try."

"Fair enough," she murmured, nodding slightly before she titled her head, "Then.. what about the commandments..?" "Moses had gone crazed with desert heat," Arrow muttered, clearly not surprised, "The only true thing I can come to understand of that dribble is the forbidden fruit.. Adam and Eve were not created as you think.. They were prototypes of what He was aiming to create.. Eve was not Adam's rib, she was meant to be his soul mate.. Angels can apply to have soul mates, but it's an unfortunate side effect to such a thing if the parties choose different sides of the spectrum, even so.. it's something that can't be helped."

"Do _you_ have a soul mate?" Natasha immediately spun around in her seat to face him, and he was clearly startled, his body tensed like a cat's and his hair on end as he wondered how she'd not lost her head with whiplash.

"It's not that simple," he nearly hissed, but she could see the flush on his face, "Angel's don't automatically have soul mates, we have our own souls.. Humans have their souls split at first creation.. Incidentally, its reincarnation that plays in here.. A human's present soul almost never meets up with their soul mates anymore these days.. I mean.. It happens.." he sounds slightly annoyed by the subject turn, but he could understand her curiosity, "but it's rare.. Factors that usually play in here are age, death, war, and sickness or plain and simple geographical differences.. Other times it's been pure luck for it to be siblings or even twins, but that's only for resets.. Which are less so rare, however _then_ it becomes an issue because humans have a problem with what they've labelled 'incestual' relationships, which -if you wouldn't mind explaining to me- I have absolutely no understanding on why.."

Natasha blinked at him slowly, eyebrows furrowed as she tried to understand his question. As if sensing her look, he tried again, "Why is it that this 'incest' thing is looked down upon? I've seen soul mates torn apart because of it, and it's not a pleasant thing to watch two souls meant to be together be forcibly torn apart.. It can become a physical issue if a soul is too unhappy.. Why so you think suicide is so high?"

"That's… seriously bumming," Natasha grimaced, trying to wrap her head around this new information, "I mean, jeez.."

It was quiet for a moment, before Arrow sighed, waving idly to the girl with a bored look, "Shouldn't you be visiting that seiyuu in the hospital, soon?"

"OHSHITIMLATE-"

Natasha was out the door in a matter of seconds, and the angel sighed, turning his head to the window as he waited several long moments, before she burst out of the house, and began making a mad dash out of the courtyard toward the property's exit.

"A troubling little angel.." he muttered under his breath, sending the sleeping squirrel a sharp look before picking him up by the scruff, instantly waking him up in a surprise, squealing, and hissing fit. Arrow shook his once, the fur ball quieting down immediately at the sharp green eyes boring daggers into his soul.

"Alright, now then," the blonde growled, his eyes narrow, and his jaw set, "What _exactly_ have you been telling that hairdresser..?"

Juli was thankful he didn't have a full bladder…..

* * *

"Oh man-! I'm falling in _love_ with this girl-! I truly am-!"

Mace sat silently at the table of the backwater bar he and his "partner" had decided to spend their time in. It was dingy, and it smelled of sweat, but it was decently empty, minus regular barflies and the occasional young adult. Everyone left them to their corner booth of solitude, nursing their mugs of aged ale while Scythe "observed" ( read 'stalked' ) the white haired woman through his pocket-watch's upper compartment mirror. His watch fit snugly in one palm, the shining metal chilled to a dull gold.

"She used _Bulls,_ Mace-! _BULLS_ -!Ahahahaa-!" The hombre haired male threw his head back in ravenous laughter, nearly doubling over in his fit as his companion only silently sipped from his tumbler.

"Ohh," Scythe rubbed at a stray tear with his knuckle, his blue eyes shining in mirth, "I'm falling for this girl.. She just keeps becoming more and more appealing.."

"when has anything ever appealed to you?" Mace spoke cooly, though it was a few shades from being deadpanned, "More like 'entertained', in my opinion. Nothing ever interests you for long."

"True," Scythe sighed, shaking his head slowly before he swirled his drink in one hand, "It's just a boring waiting game.. any pranks she decides to pull until our move is entirely up to her. I could stand a few more upsets to those blundering birds while we wait.. A few more memories to cherish in that wasteland."


	39. Chapter 8 (Final)

She'd made it to the hospital just shy of noon, two bentos in hand and shy of breath of having run around trying to find the nitwit. Eventually, her brain decided to play mercy by reminding her there was a roof scene, the details of said scene hazy, but the roof being the main part, and to be completely honest, she hadn't cared that much. Whatever happened, happened.

Azuza was on the phone when she'd arrived, just hanging up as she evened her breathing enough to get closer to him. He turned at her footsteps, ending the call with a "Okay, good luck" before sticking the phone into his pocket, and completely turning around. He was almost startled by the sight of her, but he was quick to offer a natural smile. "You came."

Natasha held up the bag with the DVD label on it, her expression cooled from the searching, "I brought the rest of this list today, sorry I didn't leave it with the manga, I didn't have time to pop in after I got home." "No thank you," he grinned, his face softening slightly, "So you were the one who left the manga?" "James Bond has nothing on me," she grinned in return, jerking her thumb toward her chest, "I didn't eavesdrop though, I thought I'd give you and Tsuba-chan your little moment- _cute by the way_ ~!" she giggled a little at his sudden blush, having been caught being sap, but grinned, remembering the card, "Right.. So that was your doing.. You're a very good artist.." "Oh please, honey," she rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest and flicking the bangs from her eyes as she looked up to him, "I'd have to be, or I'd be broke."

He looked confused for a moment, before he brushed off her secretive smile, he'd save that question for later. There was a more important issue at hand...

"Don't tell me you walked all the way out here for this..?"

She was standing well enough, but the slight wheeze of her breathing, the subtle tremble of her knees, and the shine of sweat behind her neck had him realizing she was anything but relaxed right now.

"I didn't walk all the way out here for this," she admit the truth calmly, her smile patient as he sighed in relief.

"I _ran_ all the way out here for this."

His sudden, flabbergasted look sent her giggling, so she waved her hands lightly, as if to appease him, "Chill your croissants, dear brother of mine.. Yusuke and I had gone through the trouble of getting them, it's only right to finish the job." "Oh?" he sighed, slightly upset that she'd strained herself, but calmed by her obvious amusement, turning to gaze out over the fenced-in roof calmly, "I see.." he murmured, turning to glance at her over his shoulder, "Where is Yusuke..?"

"Oooh," she hummed sagely, a devious smile on her lips as she skipped up to him, standing just a few feet back with the aura of a fox, "He _was_ planning to join us today, but he got the results from the mini-test, and… well.." There was a silent pause, and Natasha grinned in self satisfaction at the stubborn boy's pride. If he'd just taken the notes she'd made…. Oh well, not much she can do about it.. "Let's just say the result was less than satisfactory…"

"That's so like him," Azuza sighed softly, turning back to look up at the sky. A flock of birds were playing tag in the air, and his eyes followed them with an almost melancholy expression.

"Sooo," Natasha dragged out the word casually, hopping forward so she was in front of her brother, arms folded behind her back and bending forward slightly, rocking on her heels for entertainment of balance, "Did I interrupt a work call?"

"No, that was Tsubaki," he gave her a slight smile, his violet eyes shining in the noon sun, "he's gotten to pulling out all the stops.." "You're talking about the anime, right?" she perked up a little at that, her eyes bright, "It's nice to see you two getting along again.."

"Un," he nodded slightly, his eyes taking a faraway look as a pair of birds swooped dangerously low to the fence, chirping excitedly to one another in their playful dancing, "Tsubaki is amazing.." his tone became reverent, and Natasha watched in silent relief as his tense muscles unwound, "Rather than copying the nuance that I was going for, he's making the role his own while still recreating what I've achieved.. But because of that," he stood up straighter now, as if remembering she was here, his head tilted just a little higher as he as brought back to earth, "I sometimes get calls like that out of the blue, like earlier."

"He's definitely like that," Natasha grinned, moving to rest her shoulder on the slightly bending fence, her expression calm, "He'll beat at it and beat at it until it's absolutely perfect.. He's just got that type of mindset.."

"I have a newfound appreciation for how talented Tsubaki is," Azuza admit shamelessly after a moment, "but at the same time.." he turns a little to join her at the fence, lifting his hand to grasp the cold metal rungs, leaning his forehead on his arms as he spoke, watching her from the corner of his eye as she stood leaned against the net. "There's another feeling that's growing inside me.." "That's exhaustion," she deadpanned, her eyelids lowered in a monotone drawl as she crossed her arms over her chest, back to the fence and her legs crossed casually over one another, "It comes when you push yourself after a limit you know fully well is there.."

"I don't want to lose to Tsubaki… I'm not _going_ to lose..."

Natasha stilled at his low, breathless admission, the intensity of his words almost as potent as a slap in the face. It took her a second to process his words, but his next statement sent blood rushing to her face, as it was accompanied by a severe breach in personal space.

"And this is the one thing I can't give up on."

His arms were wound tilting around the shorter female, pressing her tightly to his chest as she stood, stock-still, in front of the gate, his head lowered almost enough for his chin to touch her shoulder. "I'm not going to apologize anymore," he stated in a firm, yet breathy voice, his fingers curling slightly into her black sweater, "because I love you more than anyone else."

His warm breath at her ear, paired with her strange infatuation to voices, mixed with his warm arms, the lack of personal space, and the cool air, left her stunned, enough so, that when he pulled back, just enough to press a soft, chaste kiss to her forehead, her only reaction was the widening of her already dinner-plate eyes. She couldn't really react to the situation, too stunned to really comprehend such a confession, and the sudden lack of focus brought with it a familiar, dark voice.

 ** _Why is it that the only time I'm not caged like an animal anymore is when you're emotionally fried?!_** The dark presence whisper-hiss-muttered, and she silently tried forcing the thing back into its shady bedroom with maximum security doors, but, finding it near impossible, gave up to allow temporary freedom, by this time, Azuza having pulled back enough to look down into her stunned, conflicted eyes.

"There's no hurry," he assured her softly, and she could only see god-honest adoration in his eyes. "But I'll be waiting for an answer.."

"R-right.." she murmured, her eyebrows furrowing as he slowly, finally released her, and she could take a deep cleansing breath. It was tense, and awkwardly silent for a moment, before she decided to hell with it, and reached into her bag, pulling out the bento she'd made and holding it out to him with a slight, reassuring smile, "I thought you might be sick of hospital food."

He blinked slowly at her outstretched hand, before reaching out to take the bento, giving her a soft, gentle smile as he tugged at the baby blue wrapping and motioning her to join him at the nearby bench, "Thank you.. Will you eat with me?"

"I brought my own~!" she chirped, hopping up to sit next to him, drawing her knees up to her chest in an L fashion, and propping the royal purple bento onto her knees, "I hope you like it, I snuck a few cookies in with it, since you'd probably not get much in the way of blood sugar, here.."

"Really," he murmured, breaking apart the chopsticks she held out to him, "Thank you."

"No brother of mine will go unsatisfied with a meal," Natasha snorted, thumping her fist once to her chest in pride, " 'Tis one of the many perks of being a sister.." she flashed him a sneaky smile, "Not only do I play recipe guinea pigs with the lot of you.."

He unwrapped the bento to see a small, squeaking duck of rice, veggies, fruits, and bits of meat, and he almost chuckled in relaxation as she continued, "But I get to embarrass you all by treating you of elementary age.." she perked up suddenly, her white teeth gleaming, "The best part is when I slip in little meanings with it.."

He seemed confused for a moment, before she leaned over slightly, pointing out what looked to be a small stick-like shape of veggies in the duck's mouth, and she grinned, "He's got a thermometer.."

"Cute.." he murmured softly, and she flushed with pride, though his eyes were on his sister, not his food.

"Thanks," she nodded, turning to her food with gusto once he'd taken a healthy bite, and began her eating of a symmetrically proportioned bento box.

And the rest of the meal was silent.

* * *

It took her a bit longer than she was willing to admit to find the registry offices, having to double back.. Twice.. To find the sleek steel building's entrance. After that, it was generally a matter of showing her ID, getting a passport photo taken (Thank god she'd tamed her hair) and heading home. She was bored, really, and it was really understandable when you took into account that they never actually specified Ema's birth family names.. So, when she'd opened the registry to check, it wasn't a big deal.

It also wasn't a big deal to see the words ADOPTIVE DAUGHTER on the page.

No.

What _was_ a big deal..

 _What was a shit-storm-waiting-to-happen deal…_

Were the two names sitting directly under that particular transcribe..

 _Why_ , and _how_ , could this even be possible…?

* * *

"It won't be much longer," Mace remarked calmly, flashing his "partner" a slight frown, "Why not strike now, while she's stunned? It would make everything a hell of a lot easier."

"Mace, Mace, Mace.." Scythe tut his tongue in slow, childlike, mocking disapproval, "When has anything easy been worth it..?"

"I can name six," the blood-orange haired male scoffed, turning his eyes to the girl numbly entering a nearby park, "several of which are dead and the rest being allies."

"Be patient," it was Scythe's turn to scoff, his blue eyes no longer amused as he glared to his brethren, "I don't like your tone. And we will move on _my_ mark. No your's."

"Understood."


	40. Chapter 9: Part 1

She didn't want to believe it….

 **COHBALT WOLFE**

 **CAROLINE WOLFE**

She _did not_ want to believe this…

 **COHBALT WOLFE**

 **CAROLINE WOLFE**

Did she commit some major _fuck up_ in her last life for this…?

 **COHBALT WOLFE**

 **CAROLINE WOLFE**

Did she piss off the god who sent her into this timeline to do this?

 **COHBALT WOLFE**

 **CAROLINE WOLFE**

Why…?

 **COHBALT WOLFE**

 **CAROLINE WOLFE**

 _Why were THEIR names on this…_

 **COHBALT WOLFE**

 **CAROLINE WOLFE**

 _WHY THE HELL WERE THEIR NAMES ON HERE-?!_

She didn't remember stuffing the paper back into her coat, nor did she recall walking until her feet felt numb, the afternoon sky fading into deep gold, then orange, and the edges finally dusting with purple. She did, however, remember her back hitting a solid surface, and her legs giving out, the anxiety pricking along her skin and setting her legs on fire..

Just great.. Stress hives.. Yippie...

She was tempted to summon Arrow from her ring, but immediately dismissed the thought.

She just really needed to sit down and think this through..

She was kind of pissed at him, actually..

 _Did he know that her mother was here- even for a little while..?_

 _Even so…_

 _Why didn't he mention this…_

 _Ever.._

 _It's not like he didn't have the time.._

 _It's not like he wasn't physically incapable of telling her something like this.._

 _Maybe-_

 _Maybe he didn't want her to know..._

* * *

At some point it had started raining. She didn't know when, and frankly she didn't care. But still, she was thankful for it.

The cold air helped to cool her puff, flaming cheeks, and the rain pelted against her face, hair, neck, _everything_ , gave her the security to silently cry. There were no wracking sobs.. No snotty messes, no hiccups.. _Not yet anyway_.. Just..

A really, really deep feeling of loss…

She was perched on a park bench, her posture slackened and her head hung low. _For some stupid reason_.. A soft, bleary chuckle left her lips, dry, and unforgiving to her scratchy throat, _I kind of wish I'd have died sooner_..

Cohbalt… Caroline… Two words that could mean absolutely nothing to a stranger…

Two words that could bring her down from her little family high..

Make her realize how twisted all of this was..

Make her understand how selfish she was being..

 _How ugly.._

She heard a ring.. A song.. Something familiar, in the back of her conscious. However, she felt too lethargic to move.

Her thoughts strayed to other things..

Darker things..

 _Ugly things.._

 _Was there anything else about this god-forsaken planet she should know about…?_

 _If_ they _had been here.. What about Mika..? Chojo..Shizuka.._

 _...Ryuu..._

 _Yuuki_

 _Gwen_

 _Kristina_

 _Alice-_

 _…_

 _Anyone…?_

Oh, there was that song again.. She idly tried to piece together the melody, and her lips twitched. Why would they be trying to call her…? Couldn't they tell she wanted to be alone..? She'd done it before.. What was so different about now..?

She sent the call to ignore, tucking the phone back in her pocket before she continued her therapeutic musings.

She'd have to tell the boys soon. Soon, being, _she should have already told them.._

She'd need to apologize for worrying Juli.. Lord knows how wound up he got over these things..

She'd also need to start looking into Bao's issues with her..

That last one was vastly less appealing than the former three..

The phone began chiming again, and she silently sighed, reaching into her bra and withdrawing the device.

It was Natsume this time.

She had a few seconds of internal debate to the rhythm of Kill the Lights, by Set It Off, before she decisively clicked ignore, slipping the device back into her bra with an audible grunt of self-loathing as she mentally slapped herself repeatedly with a frozen cod. She's just causing them more and more wor-

"Couldn't you have at least picked it up?"

Natasha looked up with a sudden start, the phone clenched tightly against her chest as her wide, surprised eyes fell upon the ginger haired male not twenty feet away. He was jacket-less, with only his black slacks, black shoes, his white shirt, and his loose lime green tie, all soaked, as protection from the beating rain. He was holding out his still-glowing phone, and she had the odd, out of body realization that he'd been deliberately watching to see if she would pick up the call..

 _Okay…_

 _Kind of creepy…_

 _However, not stimulating enough to shock her right now..._

"What are you doing here?" She hadn't intended her sassy demand to sound so dead, but oh well.. She was too depressed to be sassy.

"Shouldn't that be my line?" he huffed, walking forward with cool, steady steps, his expression hard pressed, exasperated, even. Probably because she blew off his calls.. Whoops.. "I got a call from Ukyo-nii saying you hadn't come home.." He tilted his head a little as they got within polite speaking distance, his tone that of a father, rather than a brother, or even an acquaintance. "I've been looking for you everywhere, Natasha."

"Why bother?" Natasha deadpanned, but it sounded a tad too emotionless. Like she were doing a zombie impersonation for The Walking Dead.. You know the tone.. Yeah.. That one...

He seemed taken aback by her immediate response, so she halfheartedly continued. "It's not like it matters. I would have gone back eventually.." "And when would that have been," he asks after a moment of silence, the only sound being the pelting of the rain. "Eventually," she repeated, her voice turning more quiet as she relaxed back into the bench. The surprise had completely faded, and the numb was once more forefront of her mind. "Why are you here?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" he gruffed, his eyes narrowing sharply while the girl fluttered her eyes closed, and relaxed. Did she _not_ know she could get sick?

"I just needed to be alone," Natasha sighed, her eyebrows drawing together in equal parts self-annoyance and confusion. Why'd he bother to show up. Did they not have faith in her going back? Yeah, she was a ditz sometimes, but really..? "Did something happen?"

His question caught her off guard, and her expression revealed surprise once more. Bulls eye. Natsume sighed heavily, flicking his phone back open and dialing the familiar numbers, "In any case, I'm going to call Ko-nii.. This whole situation needs to-" "Please don't-!" Her words were quick, and sharp, but as he raised his eyes from the glowing screen of his phone, he could stare into her wide, unguarded eyes. He could make out intense disagreement, but behind that, behind that sharp, glassy coating, was a trace of fear.. She looked scared..

"I don't want to go back, yet.." she admit after several long, silent seconds, her head lowering back to it's original slump as she pulled her knees to her chest, stuffing her forehead into the crease with growing anxiety, "I just want to stay here.." _He wouldn't know about her past life.. There was nothing he could do for her.._

"Seriously, Natasha," he spoke firmly, and she didn't dare look up as he marched closer, now within touching distance, but thankfully keeping his hands at his sides, his voice taking on a more demanding, yet slightly pleading, tone, "What happened to you..?" She curled up tighter, but he could see the flinch of her shoulder. She looked fragile, then, and he was more so concerned about this. "Then.." he murmured, "You don't want to go home..? No matter what..?"

She shook her head slowly, from side to side, but it was only slight enough that it was barely seen. Natsume heaved a great, heavy sigh, before bending over slightly, trying to see her face better, "Then, would my apartment be okay?"

Ever so slowly, he watched her head rise from her knees, her glassy golden eyes ringed in what he now could see as irritant, red blotches. She'd been crying. He bit his tongue when her nose seemed to twitch, and he watched both rain, and now tears, drip silently down the corner of her eyes. He held out his hand to her, and remained still. She eyed it in silence, and he forced his tone to be even. "It's better than here.." he sighed, his thoughts a mixture of probable causes for her behavior, "If you don't mind it, then come on.."

He watched the indecision war in her eyes, between what, he didn't know, so when she'd shot her eyes up to his in what he assumed was finality, he was only slightly surprised when her hands both found his outstretched one, her small fingers wrapping around his offered hand and carefully pulling herself to her feet. He held her steady for a few moments when she'd swayed a little, but as she squeezed his hand firmly for reassurance, he let her stand on her own. She wrapped her arms tightly around her chest and slung the big purple backpack over her shoulder, her head tucked down as she waited for him to lead the way. Hesitant about letting her stumble behind him, he unconsciously pulled his arm around her shoulder, urging her into a jog out toward his car not fifteen feet from the park's entrance. He opened the door on the passenger side and helped her in, but as she tucked herself into her seat, the tears had stopped, and he watched her face for a moment more before checking to see if her feet were inside, then shutting the door.

The ride back to his home was absolutely silent, the raindrops lulling his co-pilot into a slight doze until they reached the complex. She jolted in her seat when the car flicked off, while a moment before he'd wondered if he'd need to carry her, she was suddenly shocked straight up and darting her eyes around the darkened space in slight panic.

"Easy," he spoke calmly, watching as she immediately settled with a sigh, before following his lead to get out of the car. It took a few minutes to unlock the front door, stride up the stairs -the elevator was briefly out of commission- and get to his apartment, unlock it, and sigh in relief.

"Thank you," Natasha finally spoke to him, and he had to turn to confirm he did not imagine it. She'd been so unusually quiet. Something was seriously bothering her. "Here," he settled for holding the door open wide so she could come in, her shoulder brushing his chest as she passed, and though she didn't react in the slightest, it felt like a small, electric charge had coursed through their clothes. "Come on in…" He flicked on the lights, and suddenly two large white, tan and brown spotted cats rushed to the ginger's feet, mewling brightly to greet their master's return home. Natsume, startled by the sudden attention, shifted his weight from foot to foot, clearly not wanting to step on paws or tails, "Tsubaki-knock it off-! Azuza- stop playing around-!"

"That's cute.." she murmured. Natsume sent her a brief, relieved glance, seeing the small, warm smile on her mouth as she gazed to the animals. "Yeah," he sighed, managing to scoop both trouble makers into his arms and discard his shoes before stepping into the main apartment, looking back to her with his usual calm expression, "They're named after my brothers.. It's a long story.. A-Anyway.." he averted his eyes when her golden orbs seemed to settle on the quietly squirming, but oddly suddenly behaved felines in his arms, "Just come on in.."

"Thank you for having me," Natasha called out politely, slipping off her ankle boots and lining them up on a dry rug near the door besides Natsume's shoes. Her socks were dry, thank karma, though she was still reluctant about dragging her soaked carcass through his clean home. As if in an appeasement to her thoughts, Natsume turned back after releasing the tigers in training to face her, his tone much more cautious and gentle. "Are you hungry?" "Not particularly," she sighed, a cool breeze touching her skin-tight clothes, but she managed not to openly shudder. "Would you like anything to drink?" he tried again, almost eerily patient as he gave her a lingering look. "Unless you have scotch or enough tequila to get me smashed, I'll politely pass.." she murmured.

He looked immediately taken back, so she raised her head, her expression dull, "I'll admit I've had beer before, but it was the bitter, aged kind people use for quality tasting..." She ran a hand through her damp hair, letting the white turned silver strands slide through her fingers like silk, "I just.. Forget it. I'm not thirsty."

"Then.. At least.." he started softly, treading slowly as he saw the tension flash across her face, being sure to watch which buttons he pressed, "Go ahead and take a shower.. It might help..."

"The second time I don't have spare clothes…" she joked casually after a soft snort, the ginger haired male relaxing slightly as he watched her give a faint, but real, smile.

* * *

Natasha wrung her hair out over the tub as she stepped out of the shower, the steam floating around her like a fog and clouding the mirror. She managed to wipe away the majority of the mist, and examined her figure in the mirror, the soft dull green towel wound tightly around her torso. Her skin was, as usual, pale, with only the slightest hints of freckles on her cheeks, nose, and shoulders, her collar bones sculpted delicately against her chest, and, the only thing she admittedly found attractive about her appearance. The collar-bone gods graced her within the hell of puberty.

She let the towel lie limp on top of her head before she started drying her hair, quickly moving to dress once she reminded herself that he'd need to shower as well.. She barely turned to see a pile of clothes sitting on the outer-bathroom sink, raising an eyebrow in surprise to see a worn green hoodie and a pair of soft-looking grey sweatpants. She'd dressed, putting on her grey spaghetti tank top from earlier, as it had dealt with the least damage, and made sure to mentally dry it with her _Creation_ before slipping it on, almost angry that it had shrunk due to rain. She was barefoot as she reentered the room, the faint scent of nicotine an oddly comforting smell as she held the damp clothes in her hands, the towel from earlier lightly wrapped around the back of her neck.

"Thank you, pumpkin," she tried joking as an ice-breaker to calm the shitstorm that was her current emotional control level. "You quite possibly saved me from a night on a bench.. Or, worse.." her tone turned sage like, as the ginger sat up from his slouched position at his balcony, breathing clouds of smoke into the pelting rain from his half-finished cigarette. "-a cold."

"Nevermind that," he waved off her thanks with ease, his eyes narrowing slightly at her still sullen look and slightly forced smile, "Now, what happened?"

She was quiet at his question, weighing the pros and cons, but, hearing his sigh, glanced over to see him turning his gaze back to his hand, he nicotine burning faintly at the end of his cancer-stick, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He turned his head up to look at her, and she could find nothing but sincerity. "But if you want my help, I'll be here. Alright?"

She made up her mind.

"Natsume," she spoke suddenly, her eyes closed firmly as she clenched her fists at her sides.

The ginger haired male looked over with a start at her tone, his eyebrows furrowed as she strode firmly over to him, then kneeled on the floor, her features clenched in indecision and slight pain, "It's-.. We need to talk."

He stood, putting out the cigarette in the ashtray almost immediately.

"I'll get some tea."

* * *

Natasha swirled the tea slowly around in her cup, watching her reflection waver in the soft golden liquid. Natsume was opposite to her at his modest table, both silent as they took a breather. She knew what she wanted to say but.. "I don't know how to start.." she murmured after another full minute, and though he was startled by her sudden words, he waited patiently with a soft, encouraging hum. Tsubaki and Azuza were curled up at her feet (much to his initial surprise- the little hairballs never sat still for anyone without claws and teeth involved) and she was idly petting the former with nimble, unconscious fingers.

"Just spit it out.." He offered after another few, tense seconds, her surprise evident while he continued, "Just ramble and piece it together later." He took a sip of his tea to hide the slight frown, "I'm not going to rush you. It's obvious this is eating at you."

"...What's your opinion of God?"

Her sudden, out of the blue question had the slightest tinge of surprise in his reply, "I believe there is a higher power..?" "Do you follow that higher power regularly?" she asked firmly, and he took notice of the set of her jaw, the strain of her eyes. He'd never taken her for the religious type, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious to see where this was going. "No," he admit after a moment, watching her shoulders slowly relax, and her expression clear slightly, "I don't go to church every Sunday." "Do.. do you believe in angels?" she added a new one, and he tilted his head just the slightest, watching as she set her cup down, and fiddled with the sleeves of her *cough*his*cough* hoodie.

"I believe there are people watching over us," he conceded calmly. His eyebrows furrowed when she gulped, clearly uncomfortable and not at all liking the fact that she was talking. Was she always this easy to read? She was hesitant, before she furrowed her eyebrows, finally lifting her eyes to lock with his own, and all doubt, all hesitation and worry seemed to wipe from her face as she eyed him calmly. "Natsume.." she spoke slowly, and he felt the absolute severity in her tone. "I need you to promise me something."

"What is it?" he asked calmly. He would have said 'anything', but he'd rather not agree to something stupid blindly and wind up breaking a promise. "I need you to listen to every word I tell you tonight," she enunciated each word with slow, and careful precision, "I want you to hear me out completely, before you call anyone, or do anything." "I think I can do that," he agreed after a silent minute of their staring, before he nodded, finishing his tea and merely cradling the cup in his hands, "Alright, you have my word."

She took a deep breathe in, and he watched her sigh with, almost relief, she still looked strung out, though.

"Natsume."

He nodded slightly, acknowledging that he was listening. She swallowed, but marched on.

"I'm dead."


	41. Chapter 9: part 2

_I'm dead.._ Dead _.. I'm dead.._

The words echoed around in his brain for a few moments, before he sat up straighter, his fingers itching to find his phone, but at the sudden, sharp look of panic on her features, he froze, watching as she burst over half of the table to grip his shoulders, holding him in place, "Please stop-! You promised you'd listen-!"

He sat frozen in his spot at her blatant look of panicked fear. It took him a moment to find his voice, before he spoke, his words slightly hoarse from surprise and the sudden tension of her closeness. "Then, try explaining this in less panic-inducing terms."

"How do you sugar coat 'I got hit by a car and died'?" she was suddenly taken aback by his sass, responding with her own, higher level of sass as she almost glared at him, her eyes slightly narrowed, but the furrow of her brows killing any attempt at intimidation.

"You got _hit by a car_ -" he'd started to raise his voice in alarm at this, lifting his arms to inspect her, but a sudden, sharp smack to the back of the head stopped him, and a plate clattered to the table, small, brown candies flying around the wooden surface and scattering. His hands immediately flew to the back of his head with a yelp, grimacing in pain as he felt the small bump.

"Arrow you son of a _bitch_ -" Natasha's shout caught him off guard as she lunged past him, a loud thud echoing before he was able to twist his body around to face the.. Hovering.. Girl.. upside down… and struggling.. Five feet off the ground. He blinked slowly, listening to her rampant, snarky comments as she thrashed around, her loose hair falling around her head, and, in some places, completely stilling-..

As if something were holding it there-

"Arrow you asshole-! Put me down-! I was handling it just fine-! I told you that I was going to tell him first- DAMNIT PUT ME DOWN-!"

"What the hell-" he'd started to speak, but a sudden 'thwack'' later, and Natasha tumbled to the floor, her knees spread and her fingers curled into something almost eye level with her as she looked to be pinning air. Her hair fell around her head softly, in limp, damp strands, but he watched in silence, breath bated, as she slowly righted her breathing, before swinging her fist out, and down. He heard a thud, the sound of skin on flesh, and winced, watching as she took a deep, calming breath, before glaring at the air below her. "You are going to hold still so I can make you visible, got it?" Natsume swallowed thickly at the pregnant pause, before she visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping as she collapsed forward, but-..

Stopped about eight inches above carpet.. Her hair was splay mid-air, and-

Her hand slipped up, and there was a man.

Natsume blinked once, then twice, to see the larger, blonde male lying on the floor, looking like a peeved child more than anything else. He was clad all in white and creamy golds, his mature, but startling green eyes nearly glowing as he looked down to the female stradling, or more, lying on top of him.

"Arrow," Natasha spoke slowly, and Natsume, while having a hard time staying conscious, was able to make out anger, "Apologize to Natsume before I dye your wings pink.."

"Please don't," the man's deep voice respond, flashing his green eyes to the ginger almost tersely. "My sincerest apologies. I mistook your lung towards my mistress for violence."

"I am not a mistress-!" Natasha snapped out of reflex, scrambling over to the table to pick up what she now understood was a mess, "And _damnit_ Arrow- you couldn't have waited twenty minutes to start eating-?! You're lucky it's dry chocolate-!" "Again, my apologies," the blonde sighed. The two males' met eyes, silence thickening around them as Natsume tried to understand the situation, and Natasha busied herself in cleaning up the projectile that'd hit Natsume's head.

"Instead of glaring at one another-" both males darted their eyes to the silverette as she set the now clean plate on the table, the chocolate wasted and sent to the oblivion realm she disposed of all other useless items. "-Why don't we try explaining the situation, hmm?"

Arrow took a final, lingering look to the female, before hopping into the air, quite literally slow-motion falling into the seat opposite Natsume at the table, and giving him a firm, narrow-eyed look. "Before we begin," his brass-bell voice was smooth as he glared the other into silence, "I should like you to know that if any harm comes to Mi'Lady from this, she will not be present here any longer."

"You make it sound like you'll stab me," Natasha rolled her eyes as she plopped next to Natsume, who, in her opinion, had been eerily silent, before she forced a laugh, "Haheh-! Arrow-! Be a little nicer-!" "I need his word." Arrow was point blank and uncaring, eyeing the male with obvious distrust. "I need to know she will not be placed anywhere for the mentally incapable."

"He's not gonna throw me in a loony bin," Natasha rolled her eyes, answering for him before she noticed the ginger's internal panic, and sent Natsume a small, apologetic smile, "You already gave me your word to listen. That's all I needed.." Natsume gave her a slight, almost unnoticeable nod, before flicking his eyes back to the stranger. The blonde was still staring at him, not happy with anything, it seemed. "I don't like him-" the blonde started, but receiving a hand to the top of his head by none other than the only present female, who, after landing once more in her seat, folded her arms across her chest. She glared as he clutched his aching head, recovering from her karate-chop, and she snorted lightly.

"You don't like anybody, don't pretend that this is a special case."

She turned her eyes back to Natsume, and he sat still, in shock, but listening. "Natsume," she spoke softly, her tone much more gentle addressing the ginger, "There is a world, parallel to this one.. Where a girl died in the middle of a city street.." She paused, as if waiting, and he gave a slight, dutiful nod. He was following so far.. Kind of…

"This girl was a junior in high school.. And was hit by a large truck.." she turned her eyes to watch him, after glancing at her blonde companion.. "She had died prematurely- meaning-" her eyes gleamed slightly, and he could nearly feel the tension radiating from her back and shoulders, "-that she wasn't supposed to die, yet.."

A white gloved hand found the girl's shoulder, and a spark of something primally unpleasant settled in his stomach, he darted his eyes to the male, who was looking at the younger girl as if she were an injured child in a pediatric ward.. Or a piece of meat.. His mind hadn't figured that one out yet...

"Miss Natasha had been in an accident," the blonde explained slowly, his eyes trained on the ginger, who met his eyes glare for glare, "She had died before her time, and had been given a chance again at life for our.. Mistakes.."

" _Your_ mistakes..?" he repeated shortly, his fingers clenched into the fabric of his sweatpants, but Natasha did not look amused. If anything, she looked upset. The man continued. "Yes. Unfortunately, as rare as the chance, a mistake _can happen_ in the heavenly offices. It's not like there is a single angel for every human. Things are overlooked, papers are lost. You can't expect everything to be sleek and smooth."

"Offices." he deadpanned. This was becoming more and more confusing. Natasha sighed on his left, and he watched as she sent the male a sharp look. "I'm telling him."

The male gave a slight, imperceptible nod, before folding his arms politely in his lap, sitting as still as a statue and eyeing the male with obvious dislike.

"Forgive Arrow for his shortness," Natasha needlessly obliged, giving him a bow of her head, "He isn't very knowing in proper Japanese social etiquette." "Humans are complex and have a variety of customs, forgive me for not staying up to date," the blonde drawled with the just amount of sass. The silverette sighed, before continuing, her eyes on Natsume's as they regarded each other with tension, but still, a slow understanding.

"I died that day, and was brought to this world," she murmured, her eyes on Natsume's large ones as she waited for a reaction. Getting none, other than the blank, wide-eyed face, she tentatively continued, "I was given three gifts.. The ability to travel to other worlds.. The ability to create things.. And the ability to choose my own destiny.."

"What-How, and why?" he droned, his emotions toward reality and logic draining until he was a husk of reality, his eyes regarding her with slight dread, but clear desire for understanding. " _Travel, Creation_ , and _Choice_." she listed off calmly, reaching out a hand to Arrow, while the blonde sighed, obviously reluctant, before withdrawing a large, golden pocketwatch from his breast pocket, the chain still clipped to his button, though the object, bigger than Natasha's palm, was balanced in both of her hands, just fitting, as if it were made that size specifically.. She flicked it open, and turned its contents to face him. He saw several things.. The first and foremost being what looked like a pool of opal colored glass wavering in the lid, shining and rippling like water, though it was clearly sat upright. The watch face was made of several different cogs, one being roman numerals, another being actual numbers, and the last having stars in place of the hours, and tiny purple dots for the minutes. They were all facing different times, but the stars clock was only on the first hour, the seconds and minutes hand unmoving. The other clocks seemed to be working separately, the roman numerals working as a sort of fan, all of the arrows zipping around it accordingly in a high-speed fashion. The regular clock seemed to be the actual clock, though. It was the correct time.

"This is how I " _Travel_ "," she explained slowly, allowing his eyes to trace the shining, decorated piece of gold. "The clocks work as a sort of counter.. I could go anywhere I wanted- no matter the place.." "Why here?" of all the questions he could have asked, he mentally smacked himself, why did he have to ask that? "Because.." she scrunched up her brow, before lowering her head in obvious shame and embarrassment, "I wanted to experience a normal family.." "Fat lotta good that did for you," the blonde deadpanned, and Natsume sent him a sharp glare. "Are you implying something-?" "Your brothers are dogs," the man was shameless and blunt, looking at him as if he were less than a potted plant, "It is because of these conflicting emotions that my lady has been at such a high risk lately.."

"Risk.." Natsume didn't have to ask before Natasha held out her right hand, fingers spread wide, and palm up, so Natsume could look at her small, delicate hand. It was then he noticed the tattoo, the small, almost black, blue colored tattoo. It was about the size of a dime, placed directly on the web of skin between her her thumb and index finger, and while part of him wondered how he hadn't noticed it earlier, his larger, more productive side, noticed the shape.

It was a pentagram of sorts, with the uppermost point facing down, and a line drawing of a male ram head with long, thinning horns, almost invisible, had it not been in a lighter purple above the black.

"What is this?" He asked quietly. Something in him, something weary, just _knew_.. Knew that this wasn't a good thing..

"A sealing contract," the man answered for her, this time, though his eyes were pinned on the hand, numbly watching as his own cupped the single appendage, his calloused hands delicately running over her soft palm and knuckles, eyes staring resolutely to the design. It wasn't good..

"It's more of a tracking device-type thing," Natasha answered calmly, explaining softly, "It gives Arrow's brother the power to summon me whenever he feels like it without expending so much effort each time.." "Don't contracts have to have consent," he had a hard edge to his voice, but she understood, allowing him to examine her fingers individually, as if they each held another damning ink stain. "Yes, but he's not one to play fair." The blonde had jumped in again, and, if possible, the sudden emotion in his voice contained barely mastered rage, "He's not one we need to worry about, should we clear up this current misunderstanding.. The fool is under the impression that MiLady is a probable candidate for queen of Hell's circle." "A prospective bride, I will not be," Natasha scoffed, rolling her eyes with disdain as the ginger held her tensing hand, "I don't follow Arrow's god, nor do I follow Lucifer." "What _is_ he?" Natsume couldn't help the words spilling from his lips- reality and sense had left him near twenty minutes ago, now, and he was in no mood to play twenty questions.

"He's an angel," Natasha smiled then at him, and he felt this undeniable urge to just _relax_.. Reminding himself of what she had just said, his eyes slid to the blonde male with obvious disbelief.

"Bullshit."

The male blinked slowly at him, before turning his eyes to the female. Natasha gave him a slight nod, already expecting this, and turned back to Natsume, giving him a small, reassuring smile. Natsume was so caught up in her wide, warm golden eyes, that he almost didn't notice the large feathers suddenly protruding from the visiting male's back..

Key word being; _Almost_...

His lips parted in a silent gasp of breath, his heart speeding up to an almost painful rate as he watched the large, golden creme feathers shape into large, intimidating looking wings, angled just so that they were spread away from his body at a comfortable edge. The wings seemed to be pure creamy gold, but at the edges and lining of each feather, a single, line of gold glinted in the apartment lighting.

They were eerily magnificent, and equally terrifying.

"Need I prove anything else?" the blonde sassed calmly, his emerald eyes watching the male with obvious boredom, "They are but wings, nothing of importance.." "Why.. why are you here..?" he heard himself asking breathlessly. Natasha sent him a soft, calming look, and his hand automatically squeezed her's, as if she were the last thread that held him to conscious reality.

"To keep her safe, if that is not obvious," the man glared at him, but the only other indication of his ire was the instant bristling of his feathers, as if he were a cat with spiked fur.

"He's here to help me not die again, I guess," Natasha laughed awkwardly, her fingers tracing along the back of his in a soothing manner, slowly, he felt himself calm. She continued, her voice soft and imploring, "I'm really sorry for throwing this at you.. But.. I had to tell you.. Everybody.. I can't live much longer around any of you if I don't admit to this.. It's.."

"Eating at you.." Natsume finished softly, his lidded eyes softened on her torn expression. This was weird, and confusing, and god help him just to understand-

"If you want to understand, then try asking about what confuses you," Natasha looked up with a furrowed brow, and he paused, his mouth closing shut with a soft click. Did.. did she just..

"Natasha," the blonde's voice cut into the sudden silence. Both of the other adolescents snapping their attention to him in surprise. "Repeat what you just heard.."

"Ahm.." she darted her eyes between the two in confusion, both of their gazes expectant and sharp, "I.. I heard him say.. 'Help me just to understand'.." she darted her eyes to Natsume, and her eyebrows lowered, clearly uncomfortable, "You _did_ say that, right..?"

" _Oh boy_ …"

* * *

Natasha lied in the cot on the floor of Natsume's bedroom. It had taken a grand-total of twenty two minutes for her to trick him into sleeping on the bed, and by that time, as in, by the time he caught onto her little mind-game, she'd already darted beneath the covers of the futon and feigned sleep. Hesitant about waking her if she were truly asleep, the ginger inwardly groaned, running his fingers through his hair in exasperation before he left his room, leaving to find solace in the bottom of his tea cup.

 _"You did say that, right..?"_

He shuddered, lifting a hand to the bridge of his nose, right.. I'll just.. Go through it again…

 _"I'm dead."_

 _"Do you believe in God?"_

 _"He's an angel."_

 _"I came to your world…"_

 _"I just wanted to have a normal family…"_

 _"I'm so sorry.."_

 ** _"I wanted to tell you first."_**

That last one was a little more concerning than the others, for a number of shamefully personal reasons. _I mean, I'm happy she trusts me and all, but._. His thoughts rolled around in his mind in a dizzying mantra, _Shouldn't she have gone to Masaomi..? He's the eldest, isn't he…? Or maybe…_

Natsume groaned aloud in an obvious display of fatigue and self-pity. His forehead met the cool marble of his kitchen counter, and he let out a long, slow breath, releasing all of the tension in his shoulders in the process. It took him a few more minutes to hear the whining. He'd later beat himself over the ignorance, but for now, he was too busy to worry about it.


	42. Chapter 9: part 3

**I had a very fun time writing this chapter.. Hope you like it...**

* * *

She was once again wading through the desolate black world, her feet trudging against the "ground" and her long white dress dragging in the black fog that twirled at her ankles. Her breaths came in slow, even puffs, her eyes lidded in a hazy manner, dazed, as they often got when she forced herself against her insomnia to rest. Realistically, she'd have a few more days before sleep was questionable, but, she'd rather not freak Natsume out any more than she already had.

It was eerily silent in the void, the only disruption to the quiet being her breathing and the soft slapping of her feet.

"So _you_ were the cause of my ballroom being destroyed..?"

 _And there went the quiet..._

"I heard that.."

"Oh, was I thinking out loud again?" She called out in a loud, sarcastic voice, in absolutely no mood for this shit. "Silly me…"

"That's hardly nice,"she listened to Bao's put out tone come from _literally_ right above her, pouting like an overgrown child and looking at her with almost puppy-like eyes, although, she noted, the laughter in his eyes had not dimmed whatsoever. "Piss off," she stated bluntly as soon as he'd opened his mouth again, spinning on her heel and turning for a new direction. "I give you; no fucks tonight.. I'm already in a bad mood.."

"What happened?" He materialized beside her in a leisurely slouch, and while she was continually moving, it didn't look or feel as if she were getting anywhere, while Bao just lounged in the air beside her, relaxed beyond measure, but watching her with a curious hawk eye. He held one finely sculpted black eyebrow on his brow, his mouth turned down lightly in the corner. If she wanted to kid herself, he almost looked concerned.

"I thought I made my words clear," her voice was low and steady as she sent the male a sharp look, "Piss. Off. I am in no mood for your antics, nor am I in the mood for your tricks. Is it too much to ask that you leave me be? Not just for today, but the rest of my existence-?"

"Yes."

Her expression fell into a carefully constructed mask, all emotion wiped clean off her face as she eyed the raven. Without further thought or expression, she spun on her heal, walking in an entirely new direction and clenching her fists at her side. If she couldn't get him to let her out, then she was going to force herself awake. Embarrassment and Pain be damned.

Speaking of pain..

"God damnit-!" Natasha spat, in obvious annoyance, as she walked face first into another wall. Wall being read as 'Bao'. "A little late, sweetheart," the male drawled casually, swooping an arm around her waist and nearly crushing her to his torso. Stuck in place, her arms caged at her sides, the female groaned, throwing her head back in irritation as she set the raven a look of spite. "Release me or I'll make you regret it."

"I'd like to see that, actually," he flashed a set of straight, perfect white teeth, and she almost felt annoyed by the fact that he had almost normal length canines.. Hers were a little sharper than they should be.. Blame grinding her teeth constantly.. "I've never regret _anything_ , and T'would be a true miracle if you were able to.."

"Piss off and go back to hell," she deadpanned, rolling her eyes as she relaxed her entire body. What was the point in holding herself up and wasting energy if he was just going to hold her up anyway, "I'm in a bad mood, Bao, don't push it."

"Tell me."

Her eyes shot up sharply at the male, golden orbs narrowing sharply when she failed to see any negative emotion in his eyes. He merely seemed genuinely curious. "One good reason why I should..?" she nearly slurred her words in her rage, clenching her teeth and gritting at her anger.

His cool expression suddenly shifted, warming into something darker, more mischievous.. She almost wanted to throw up…

"I'll tell you a piece of _important_ information.."

* * *

"And," Natasha drawled calmly, a tea cup of unidentified liquid sitting untouched on the table in front of her, sitting delicately in a matching blue and white saucer, "This _oh so important_ piece of information had to be given.. In an imaginary cafe..?"

"I thought it would lighten the mood," he grinned, flashing his teeth in a smile, the slight point of his K-9 barely visible, but still there. "You mean _soften the blow_ ," she deadpanned, her nose scrunching in distaste as she looked over the "others" in the "city" cafe. They were all notably ordinary, with logoless outfits and simple colors, but they had no eyes.. Like some kind of anime background full of non-focused people. _Shudder_.. The waitress was actually kind of creepy without eyes.. Like.. you could see her.. But you questioned how _she_ could see _you_..

"Why haven't you picked a side?" Bao asked calmly after a moment of tense silence, his expression neutral and cool as he twirled the stir stick in his cup, watching the cream mix with the tea, "There's really only two options.. Three if you add.. Well.." He grumbled something under his breath, but she had caught the words, "soul-sucking valets" before he took an elegant sip of his drink. He _seriously_ stood out. Among all of the simple, unnotable colors, he was a big black blip on the radar. She, however, was still in that god-forsaken _dress_..

"Why do you bother asking if you already know the answer?" Natasha rolled her eyes, and from the twitch of his eyebrow he didn't appreciate the sass. "You know you pissed me off, and there's no reason for me to climb that escalator anytime soon.."

"What's your plan, then.." he scoffed, almost glaring at her with the sudden tension in the room. The dull chatter of nonwords in the crowd around them faded to silence, though they still moved, and Natasha watched his hand slip through his hair, as if to calm a headache. "You know you can't masquerade as a human forever, right?" "Masqueradeing implies that I'm faking it," the female snapped sharpy, glaring at him when he only smiled, though it wasn't a pleasant smile, "How do you fake being human?" "Simple," he snorted, tossing her a sly, knowing smirk, "Do what you're doing.."

"What's the news," she asked suddenly, closing her eyes and fisting her hands in the skirt, she was not in the mood to deal with this, and said as much, "I already expressed my unwillingness to be here, say what you must and be done with it, Bao."

"There's a price for your head up in Limbo."

She opened her eyes with a start, his slouched position in the girly, elegant silver chair unmoving. He was watching her with sharp, calculating blood red orbs, watching.. _Waiting_..

"How much?" she muttered, feigning disinterest as she reached for the cup. However, while her intention was to pick it up, the twitch of her hand sent it toppling, the dull golden liquid spilling across the table for only a second, before it disappeared, the cup righting itself in the saucer with the same, but different, brew in it, still steaming softly.

"Thank you." she muttered, lamely, in both of their eyes, before she took the cup in both hands, thankful that the sides were not overly burning, and took a careful sip. She set it back down with haste, before flagging up her arm, calling out to the waitress for sugar, the smug-looking male angel watching her in silence while she pondered, then he answered, "They want your gifts.. So it's nothing you can bargain for.."

"That's.." she tried softly, smiling gratefully at the still-creepy waitress before dumping a literal handful of sugar cubes into the cup, and stirring quickly. "Stupid..?" he offered calmly, her slight nod enough for him to continue, "True.. but.. They have the right idea.."

"Oh?" now she sounded annoyed. He smiled, relaxed a little, and kicked back in the chair, his hair slipping around his neck and shoulders in a pool of ink, "Well, can you blame them for wanting you..?" "Yes."

He raised an eyebrow at her point plank tone, before allowing a soft, minuscule chuckle to pass his lips, "You're naive enough to think you could beat a Limbo cadet, let alone a _hunter_..?"

"And what do you suggest I do?" she asked calmly, raising her hand sharply when he'd open his mouth, "-that does not involve picking a side."

"Always one for the hard way," he muttered, almost in disdain as he sighed in annoyance, taking the last swig of his tea before it refilled itself back to it's original amount.

"The easy things in life aren't worth the time," she muttered, sipping softly at her drink before pinning him with a glare, "Now, tell me about this place.. What do you know..?"

"Limbo is the place where all angels who didn't side with heaven or hell at the great divide lie.." Bao spoke with a low, reminiscing tone, his eyes lowering to his cup and staying there as he sat slouched over the table, "Angels, fallen or otherwise, are sent there for indecision, as well as eternal punishment.." His tone perked up quickly, and he flashed her a bright smile, "I hear the winters aren't that bad, though-" "What. Do. You. Know." she repeated slowly, enunciating each word until he raised his eyes to meet hers. There was something there, in his eyes, something she wasn't sure she wanted to see.. Something she wasn't _supposed_ to see...

He looked..

 _Vulnerable, almost.._

"You need to fight." he murmured calmly, his hands still around the cup as he met her eyes, gold locking with red and holding fast, "You can't run, and you refuse to pick.. Your only option left is to fight.."

"I thought you can't kill angels without those special knives..?" Natasha murmured softly, neither caring that they'd lowered their tone in an illusion.. The situation kind of called for it, anyway.. "Not exactly," he smiled, cracking a small, sullen smile, before reaching out behind him, and pulling up a dagger extremely similar to the one Arrow had shown her, but instead of a shiny luster brought from constant cleaning polish, this one was cloudy, and a dulled grey, though the sharpness was still evident.

"This is a _Semper_ ," Bao flipped the blade in the air lightly, catching it between his fingers before holding the handle out to her, "Unfortunately, your _Creation_ can't make these.. Not yet, anyway.. You need to usually have a full comprehension of what you're making.. And until you actually use one.. You won't be able to make one off the bat.." "So I'd have to train..?" she intoned calmly, carefully slipping the weapon out of his hand, letting the nearly ten inch blade glint against the soft light of the 'cafe'. "What is it made of..?" "Angel essence," he flashed his teeth brightly, his eyes glinting in mischief, "All angels are able to make them.. With training, of course.."

"That's pretty cool," she murmured after a minute of inspection, running her eyes along the sharp edge with curiosity, "Does it only affect angels..?" "No," he shook his head casually, brushing his hair behind his ear as he observed her curious expression, "They work on gods, sprites, imps, pretty much anything that _isn't_ human or plants.." "Aren't imps plants?" she deadpanned.

"Not necessarily," he shook his had, "I mean plant like, growing, alive _thing_ that is not sentient.."

"Gotcha," she nodded, flipping the blade, just like he had done up. She had intended to catch it, but as it arched down, the blade had nicked her finger, slicking down to the upper half of her palm before clattered to the table. She drew her hand back with a sharp hiss, clutching the now bleeding hand to her chest with a sharp look to the male, "Didn't you _just say_ it didn't harm humans-?!" His hands darted out across the table to catch her arms, brushing the weapon off of the table and onto the floor where it landed with a clatter, and disappeared.

Bandages, and cleaning tools appeared beside the now empty sugar bowl, both cups and dishes disappearing without their use as the raven haired male pried her hands away, and held up the injured one. His eyes first caught sight of the tracking seal beside her thumb, before brushing off the tiny surge of satisfaction in order to grab the peroxide and cotton swabs already opened and lathered. "This will sting.. You're still _technically_ a human, so.."

" _Technically_ ," she repeated spitefully, clearly upset and annoyed with him, having paused in her rant about safety issues and her own stupidity. She was staring at him, now, and he paused his quick wrapping to look at her in surprise, "What, you don't want to call yourself human?"

"What _else_ would I be, Einstein?" she snapped, ignoring the now fading background characters and decor, they merely sat at a table in the middle of the black void, a single, solitary lamp hanging above them from a _long ass cord_ that disappeared high above them.

"An angel, clearly," he rolled his eyes, tightening the bow habitually, glancing up only when she went dead silent. He shot his eyes over to hers in surprise, the wide, pinprick golden orbs staring at him in absolute silence. With her hand still between both of his, he blinked, her stunned eyes near trembling as she watched him.

"How much has Arrow told you..?" he murmured after another minute, narrowing his eyes further when she audibly gulped.

 _"Apparently not a lot.."_

* * *

Natsume burst into the bedroom almost a half hour after he'd left it at the sound of a loud, pained cry. He took only a long enough look to see Natasha thrashing in the blankets before he moved to kneel beside her. He grasped her shoulders to turn her over, first the sight of blood, then the tears in her eyes catching his attention. He picked her up without thought, carrying her into the bathroom as if a dog were on his heels. It took him a second to flip on the light, setting her on the ground behind the sink, before he started to try waking her.

"Natasha," Natsume spoke in a louder tone than usual, though it was obvious that he was panicked, _she was bleeding for absolutely no reason right now-_ "Natasha, wake up-!

"Ngh-!?"

Golden eyes popped open immediately, and he had to resist the urge to fall back out of surprise. She seemed surprised as well, staring at him wide-eyed before daring her eyes to her hand, trapped in the long green sleeve of his hoodie- the blood soaked end of it stained a near unhealthy shade of red/brown. However, when she'd popped her hand back out, he felt his eyes lock on the clean white bandages around her hand, wrapped tightly with an almost decorative bow holding it together on the center of the top of her hand.

"Fucking angels," the tiny female snapped, grinding her teeth in obvious annoyance, "when I get my hands on that blonde I swear to _his_ god.."

"What happened..?" Natsume asked slowly, watching intently as she lifted her uninjured hand to her head, soothing down the bed hair.. Puffy.. White bed hair..

"Sorry.. Did I.. scream again..-?"

In hindsight, it was probably a stupid idea to move that quickly, after all, he'd just found out that his acquaintance-turned-sister-turned.. Whatever this weird trust was- was actually a dead girl from a different planet- and while he understood that she had a lot of angelic ( _and demonic_ ) baggage going on, he couldn't put it past to care. It was important, yes, but..

There were some things that needed a little more attention than others..

Her lips were soft against his as he leaned in, the gentle, petal pink mouth of his desires parted in a sharp, surprised squeak, and he shoulders beneath his hands tensed. And that was where the hindsight ended. He pulled away slowly, his eyes closed herd enough to warrant a headache. "S.. sorry.. I just.."

"Why.."

She sounded stunned more than anything, and for some god-forsaken reason, that felt like a blow to his ego. _Did she not.. In that way..? He had a lot of brothers, after all, and it wouldn't surprise him-_

"Stop," she grasped his shoulders quickly, nearly a second later, and he blinked back into focus, finally taking in the situation.

Natasha was propped up against the cabinet of his bathroom sink, sweatpants clad legs spread apart, and, in the place between them, Natsume sat hunched, or more, hovered, above her, sitting on his heels, and holding her firmly by the shoulders. Her own hands were entwined with his tight black shirt, grasping the fabric in her fingers as they stared one another down.

"I don't like that look in your eyes.." she muttered quietly, her mouth turning down in the corner, "Or on your face.. Whatever you were thinking, _stop it_.."

He blinked down at her calmly, before rocking back a little on his heels, giving them a few more inches of space. "I'm surprised you're not hitting me.." he spoke after a few long, torturous seconds, immediately wanting to hit _himself_ after..

"I'm shocked that I didn't kiss back," she spoke a few seconds later.

He felt his brain shut off at that, his eyes blinking at her owlishly as she released one of his shoulders to touch her hair, entwining her fingers into the visibly soft strands, her eyes darting away after her comment to face the shower wall. He blinked once, then twice, before words found him again. "Excuse me..?"

"I.. I'm sorry.." she murmured, and through the curtain of messy white bangs, he could see the pink flush rising up her neck and face, burning the tips of her ears into a lovely rose colour. "Could you.. _We_.. again-.. I mean-" He snorted softly, and she peaked over instantly, watching as another, and then another, quiet snorts, and soft guffaws left his mouth. He rocked back on his heels as his laughter finally completely surfaced, and he tilted his head back gently, his shoulders shaking as he ran a hand through his hair.. _Dear god_ …

"What's so funny?" she had a slightly defensive tone as she gave him a slight glare, the twist of her mouth the only giveaway that she was truly upset. _He kisses her then laughs, the hell is wrong with this family-?_

"You look so adorable.." he muttered after he visibly calmed, (though it took a few agonizing minutes..) the only indication that she had heard him was the now cherry red stain bursting across her entire face, disappearing into her neckline and nearly visibly steaming out of her ears.

"It doesn't exactly _sound_ funny.." she muttered in response, her knees pulled up now that he'd given her space. She pulled her arms around them tightly, burying her face in her knees. She heard his soft chuckle a few more times, before he sighed, and completely sat on the cool tiled floor. She felt a big, warm hand slip into her hair, and she curled deeper into her crouch, her toes curling up while she felt his deft fingers pet through the messy strands… Her touch aversion was noticeably absent, however, there were still tingles from it, but they were of an entirely new variety..

"What do you do to me..?" he muttered under his breath, and while she could hear it, she pretended not to. He pet her hair for a good few minutes, curling her hair around his fingers, and massaging her skull, gentle and slow. When she finally found the guts to peek out of hide away, she glanced up in silence to see his eyes. He'd settled himself beside her at that point, his eyelids closed almost entirely as he caressed her hair.

"Natsume.." he opened his eyes enough to peek down at her, but when he saw that look of defiance on her face, he got nervous, _nothing good could come from that look_.. "Natsume.." she repeated firmly. He swallowed back his pride to look her in the eyes completely, his hand stilling on the back of her head while she watching him like a hawk. "Why did you kiss me, Natsume..?"

He blinked slowly at her expression, his hum of indifference caught in his throat at her now annoyed look. _How is he supposed to answer this..?_

"Ahh, I suppose.." he murmured, tilting his head back and looking off toward the shower door, like she'd done earlier, "I.. wanted.. To..?"

"Why did you want to?"

"Because.. You are.. Attractive..?"

"Physically or personality wise?" she wasted no time to get to the point, he could give her that much..

"Ahm.. both..?" it almost sounded like a question. Had he been a little more outgoing, he would have demanded why she was asking him this.. But he wasn't Tsubaki.. "Uhm- _why_ exactly are you-"

"Do you like me, Natsume?" Another point blank question, albeit, a little easier to answer. "Yes." She seemed to search his face for a moment, before she gave him a slight frown, "And you kissed me because you wanted to..?" "Yes.." he gave this answer a slight nod, almost falling backwards, however, when she sat up, pin straight, grabbed his upper arms for balance, and looked him dead in the eye, "Did you regret kissing me?"

"What-n-no-!" he stuttered, and while it was completely out of character, she was getting in his face, and her eyes were burning with a similar intensity to his old track coach at a country finals meet. "Good," she said suddenly, and the defiance was back in her eyes, and while he pondered whether he should duck to avoid a knock to the head, or roll away to jump from a kick, he received neither, and held perfectly still at her sudden exclamation.

"Then you won't mind if I kiss you right here and now."

While it was said with no amount of permission, she did in fact hover six inches in front of his face, watching him expectantly, as if waiting for a yes or no. When it became clear she wasn't going to move without either or, and felt his resolve crumbling, he hesitated a split second, only a split second, before he brought his hands to her cheeks, pulling her the rest of the way until their lips met.

While their first kiss was tentative, and one sided, this one was a bit more careful. He could feel her lips, soft and smooth, against his own, coaxing her mouth into soft, subtle movements while his hand slid from her cheek to her neck, the other arm winding around her back to keep her in place. Their breaths were soft, and labored, and he felt his pulse skyrocket as her hands drifted from his shoulders to his neck, pulling him closer and basically onto her lap.

And when they had parted, it was for the harsh, annoying need for air.


	43. Chapter 9: part 4

Being cuddled in the morning was actually a very wonderful thing. While she'd pondered on the lack of touch-aversion, it took her a few silent minutes to actually _appreciate_ the fact that she was being cuddled.. Followed closely, unfortunately, by panic...

" _Ahhhhhhh_ -?"

Natasha tumbled out of the bed almost immediately after reality kicked in, limbs flailing briefly in the air until she hit the floor with a sharp smack. Blankets were half-pulled off of the mattress, but Natsume was already blearily sitting up, dazed panic in his eyes as he nearly vaulted to the edge, staring at her wide eyed as she stared straight back. The only difference being her dinner-plate eyes and visible tremors.

"Are you okay…?" he asked slowly, his shoulders visibly relaxing at the lack of an intruder. She audibly gulped, and his eyebrows furrowed. Did something else happen-?

"You were-.. Why was I-.. Bed..?"

He blinked slowly down at her , watching as a pink flush spread from her neck to her ears. With a small, almost teasing smirk, he closed his eyes, letting a soft, inaudible sigh pass his lips, "Apparently you don't remember passing out.. Or.." his eyes held a sort of mischief that she found herself wanting to smile to, though embarrassment weighed over it too far for her to do so.. "The fact that you wouldn't let me leave.." "Lies.." she muttered, glaring at him playfully when he chuckled, "I'm not that clingy.." "Could have fooled me," he teased, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and kneeling beside her. He scooped her into his arms a moment later, and, ignoring her squeals of protest, returned to sit on the bed, holding the tangled, flustered female in his lap and tightening the blankets to keep her immobile.

She made a soft sound of protest in the back of her throat, but a soft peck at her temple shut her up. Her face burned in equal parts embarrassment and mortification, her teeth catching her bottom lip as she sat as still as she could in her position. Her arms were pressed tightly to her chest, and her legs and waist were swathed in the thick blue comforter.

"What time is it," she muttered, tucking her chin down as if to hide her face, however, her hair, being pulled back in its mess of a bun, did nothing to hide her burning skin, "And why am I in your lap.." "Do you not want to sit here?" he raised an eyebrow, a smirk pulling at his mouth as he watched her with scary-knowing eyes, "I can put you back down.. So long as I'm able to _move_ again.. I lost the use of my arm for a few hours.."

"What-?!" she sucked in a sharp breath, eyebrows drawn together as she stuttered for a response. After a few unintelligible syllables, his arms tightened around her lightly, the pressure tucking her head beneath his chin, his soft, gentle breathing beneath her hands as she closed her eyes. "It's still early," he admit after a few calming seconds, "About five.. You should go back to sleep.."

"I'm actually insomniac," she deadpanned after a pause, tilting her head up, though he still hovered above her reach, "I'm lucky to have taken that nap, actually.."

"How long have you been insomniac," he questioned softly, their voices hushed while they ignored the fact that they were cuddling. Neither seemed to want to point it out..

"Since I was about eight," she sighed, closing her eyes once more and burying her face into his neck, smelling the faint hint of spicy cologne and male sweat.. _Not bad_.. "I'd stayed up late for hours at a time to practice my lessons.. Over time I just.. Stopped sleeping.. I only need it around once every week or two anymore.. Though I've been taking small naps here and there these days.."

"What lessons did you take..?" he asked quietly, there was a slight, soft slur to her voice, but it was well covered, as if he were taking conscious effort to focus. He sounded tired.. And if she looked up, she was sure there would be bruises beneath his eyes…

With the shit-storm of information she'd sent him in the last eight hours.. _Well_..

"I took math, english, history, and several different languages," Natasha smiled a little as she craned back her neck, brushing her arms up until she grasped his shoulders, pressing careful until he slowly leaned back, both of them falling to the mattress in a puff of sheets. They lied side by side in silence for a minute, before she moved her hand from his shoulders, carefully trailing it up to his cheek. Her thumb brushed his jaw softly, and she met his eyes in the dark, his violet orbs practically glowing as they gazed into her golden ones. "I was taught advanced level courses until I actually attended school.. Due to certain circumstances, it was in my father's best interest to keep me busy with anything and everything that would make me smarter.. Make me stronger.. Make me better.." Her eyes glazed as she lowered her head into the pillow, both of the occupants taking a moment to measure their heartbeats. "I learned many languages.. And many other things.. Like piano, guitar, violin.. Drums, cello, oboe, flute, trombone, trumpet.. Recorder, bagpipes, harmonica and spoons.."

He made a strangled sort of hum, his hand, which had been gently stroking the small of her back, stilled as he watched her, almost wide-eyed, or, as wide-eyed as one could get half-conscious. "Is that all..?" his voice sounded strained with disbelief. How could a human being have that much time.. But.. she said she didn't sleep…

"No," she gave him a small, wry smile, "I learned to sew, cook, and dance ballet and traditional Japanese geisha.. I also took lessons for flower arranging, gymnastics, martial arts.. Plus I practiced computer programming and acting."

"Computer programming..?" he asked casually, there were many things about this that were kind of far-fetched.. But with his night.. "Did you want to program computers when you grew up..?"

"Nah," she grinned impishly at him, and his eyebrows furrowed when she gave a nervous little laugh, "Actually.. I'm already working.."

"You have a job..?" he sounded politely confused. He didn't know this.

"Not exactly…" she seemed to skirt around the issue, but he wasn't having it, his palm pressing tightly to her back so she was tugged closer, now only mere inches separating the two as their eyes locked together. She gulped loudly, and he resisted the urge to smirk. She was usually brash and quick to speak, but.. She was almost a Tsundere..

"I'm.. kind of a manga artist.. Sort of.." she muttered. The room was quiet then, as he watched her eyes dart around the areas he didn't occupy. "Manga?" he repeated calmly, as if checking his hearing, and at her sheepish smile, he raised an eyebrow, "For how long.?"

"Uhm.." she furrowed her eyebrows, before glancing up toward the ceiling, in actual thought, "I think.. A few days after the wedding.. Was the first selling.."

"That long..?" he sounded downright stunned. "Does anyone else know you do this..?"

"Ahm.." she tilted her head to the side, then, her sheepish expression clouding her features as she smiled weakly to the ceiling, "I've used Kaname as a model.. But he's clueless.. And.. Hikaru is probably catching on.. He snuck a few of his notes into a texture packet I left lying out…"

"You used Kaname as a model..?" he sounded more surprised than jealous, but he internally smacked himself for the reaction. She wasn't really _his_ \- not only was she.. Underage.. But.. she... was.. Lying in his bed-

 _Fuck._

 _She was lying in his bed…_

"Natsume..?" Natasha asked suddenly. His eyes flashed open at the feel of cool hands on his cheeks, soothing he sudden flush, a flush he prayed wasn't visible in the darkened room, as he looked out, and slightly down, to meet her eyes. "You're not breathing.." she murmured, and the concern was laced with slight sarcasm. Warm thumbs rubbed gentle circles into his cheekbones, slowly working their way down until they were at his neck, massaging at the pressure points and soothing the knots.

He took a quick, deep breath, before completely pulling her against him, his nose burying into her soft hair and his arms winding tightly around her waist. She squeaked softly in surprise, but didn't fidget, or try to move, her wide eyes blinking up at him beneath her bangs, before she gave a small, happy smile. He felt her hands leave his neck, only to wind around his back, pulling herself closer and tucking her face into his collar, sighing softly and relaxing in his hold.

 _It was.. Kind of relaxing.._

* * *

Natasha dozed again, and by the time she'd woken up, she felt rejuvenated and energized. However, all emotion came to surprised jolt when she felt cold sheets beside her. Sitting up with a start, she stared at the spot Natsume had resided, before racking her brain.

The most likely scenario, he was out jogging, trying to put all of the past twelve hours worth of events into perspective. Least likely, and without any luck to her, he'd be in the shower. Either way, her stomach rumbled at the thought of food, and she hopped out of the bed. She blinked away the remaining effects of a strangely blissful sleep, and stretched languidly, before padding out of the room. Might as well surprise him with breakfast.. Western sounded good-

 _Did she really just consider her original culture "Western"…?_

 _She almost smiled._

* * *

His ingredients were almost saddening to look over, and, instead of being a sensible person, she started snapping her fingers to a rhythmic beat. She'd learned, several days before, that focusing in this way was much more simple than only mentally making something.. This kept her grounded to her physical body, and staved off some of the heat from the headaches.. They were much less painful now that she focused both internally, and externally…

With each click of her fingers, she watched as a piece of her list appeared on the counter in modest, but effective proportions.. She had half a mind to fill his fridge and cabinets when she was done..

Ten minutes later brought to her her personal red apron, a big mixing bowl, a batter-dripping whisk, fried eggs, bacon, and hash, while pancakes simmered on a griddle and the sweet scent of heated syrup filled the home. Neon purple headphones covered her ears completely, and music poured through at an almost ear-shattering volume, had it been anyone else..

She danced lightly to the sound of Jonathan Young singing the Death Note opening .. Swaying her hips lightly and spinning on her heels to get from one element of the meal to the next. She was in the process of flipping a particularly annoying pancake when she heard a voice above the base of her accompaniment. One hand still clutching the pan mid-air, the other snapped up to push her headphone away from her ear, her body pivoting just in time to catch sight of orange hair before her body locked up, and the pan clattered to the floor.

 _Holy hell_

 _Lord tell me what I have done to deserve this…_

Natasha swallowed thickly as she met the stunned eyes of Natsume, who stood in the entryway to the bathroom, his free hand gripping the door, while his occupied one held his towel to his hips.. The water dripped down his exposed flesh, and she couldn't blame the flush of heat on the weather.

 _Lord tell me so I can do it again…_

The pan seemed to hit the floor in slow motion, sending the offensive projectile around the floor before stilling with a final, dull ring, at her feet. The air of the kitchen was suddenly stifling and thick, neither moving, as if afraid to break a glass wall. With a loud, final swallow, she weakly snapped her fingers, the pan flipping up quickly and righting itself on the stove. Natsume's eyes followed the pot as it placed itself down on it's own. The stove switched off, and the the mess swept itself into the trashcan. He swallowed, much like she had, both occupants meeting gazes once more before she finally snapped out of it, her face turning an instant scarlet.

"Natsume.." she tried words after nearly a full minute of staring, before she gave him a pointed look, forcing herself to calm, and a deadpanned expression to shine through, "If you're trying to seduce me, you don't exactly have to try so hard.. I find you attractive enough in a suit and tie."

With that said, she spun on her heel, just as the bread popped up from the toaster. She immediately started to stack the completed dishes into her arms, listening to his reaction. He seemed to pause, a sound of surprise in his throat. There was another pause, before a sharp inhale, and the door to his bedroom opening and shutting with a sudden snap..

Natasha finally let the soft, breathy giggle leave her lips as she leaned over the table, setting out each of the plates and bowls before she covered her eyes..

Photographic memory never was such a blessing…

Unfortunately, it left her face burning for a good ten minutes, and soon enough, the door of his bedroom cautiously slid open, Natsume stepping out hesitantly and taking a moment to look over her breakfast display. She kept her eyes pinned to the table, but her small, wry smirk was toying at her lips.

His sweats matched the pair he'd given her, and his white and black-lined polo hung off of his shoulders in a 'just-put-together' type of way. His towel hung around his neck casually, but his fists were tugging it sharply down his front, knuckles turning white despite his indifferent expression. Slowly, he sat down across from her at the table, sitting Indian style while she tended to pouring him a mug of coffee.

"You made breakfast.." his observation fell a little flat, but from their first interaction this morning, she wouldn't expect anything different. "Yep," she nodded calmly, fixing his plate first, before helping herself, ignoring his wary glance to the pancakes.

"So-ahm.." he started to tug the towel over his hair, tugging it over his eyes as she continued to organize her plate, "Sorry about this morning.."

She paused at his point, blinking owlishly as she waited.

"I had some time before work, so.. I decided to go out for a quick run-.. I.. didn't mean to startle you-.. So.. sorry.."

"Do you run every morning?" she asked casually, lifting her glass of milk to take a sip. _Ahh.. Glorious milk_ … He hummed slightly, startled by her lack of reaction, though, the reminder had sent himself a slight flush. God that was not how he wanted to start this, "Well, usually, yeah.. I kind of owe it to Subaru, so.." He needed to direct the conversation elsewhere… "Do.. the guys get to eat like this everyday..? I'm kind of jealous.."

"I don't usually conjure up ingredients for them, no," she sent him a slight smile, and he gulped. A reminder of her.. "Gifts".. It was still kind of touchy.. He could hardly wrap his head around it..

"How-.. How exactly does that work..?" he asked hesitantly, picking up to silver fork he didn't recall owning. He watched as she hesitated, a bite of eggs mere inches from her mouth, before she slowly set her fork down on her plate.

"Something big or something small?"

He blinked, almost surprised she was willing to show him, before he swallowed, nodding, "Whatever's easier, I suppose.." "Something small, then.." she nodded imperceptibly to herself, before holding her hand out to him, palm facing up, "Right then.. What do you want that's small..?"

"What do I want..?" he repeated slowly, his towel hung around his neck, water dripping from the damp ends to wet both his neck and clothed shoulders. "Anything, I guess.."

"How about an indoor ashtray?" she smiled, flicking her fingers lightly. Had he blinked, he would have thought she'd been holding the object the entire time, it was a two inch tall, flat cylinder in her palm, with a removable top, and a hole large enough for a cigarette or cigar on the side. He blinked after, though, trying to process the sudden object, before slowly accepting the gift.

"Thank… you…?" he tried after several long seconds, his fingers probing the object warily, as if he were assuring himself it was real, and not a grand illusion.

"Small things are easy," she spoke after he'd set the item in the table with great care, eyeing it every once in awhile as they lapsed into comfortable silence to eat, "Only a minor bit of energy needed.. However.. Big things.. Say a car.." her tone turned wry as she remembered Arrows little "demonstration", "I'd fall asleep for a good while.."

"You can make a _car_.." he sounded stunned, a frequent thing with these explanations.

"Yep," she nodded softly, tilting her head a little at her plate, "I've not tried it, but I know I can. I just have no need for one."

"That's.. Fairly convenient," he offered after a tense silence, sighing when she began to eat again, her face lighting up in obvious delight.

"Where exactly did you live before..?" he gestured vaguely to the general area of the window, but she'd gotten the message, offering a small smile when he'd started to eat his eggs. "I lived in Los Angeles, California.."

" _America_.." he blinked at her over a spoonful of jam, he was mid-process of lathering a piece of toast, "Well, you don't.. Don't take this the wrong way- but you don't _sound_ English.." "A side effect of being dead," Natasha flashed him an amused smirk, his pensive look relaxing as she continued, "Since I was given another shot at life, IE, given.. Well.. _wings_.. It means I inherit the ability to understand _all_ languages.."

"How.." he muttered.

"Name a language." Natasha gave him an offcenter nod. "Any at all."

"English," he pursed his lips, the first that popped into his head.

Natasha paused, then smiled, " _Easiest considering it's my mother tongue. Anything else_?"

It took him a few seconds to translate what she'd said, before he narrowed his eyes, "Korean."

"Swibseubnida. Naneun geudeul-ui manh-eun aeb geim-eul aju joh-ahabnida." (쉽습니다. 나는 그들의 많은 앱 게임을 아주 좋아합니다.)

"German."

"Meine Mutter war eigentlich halb deutsch. Das macht mich zu einem vierten Deutschen, einem vierten Japaner und halb amerikanisch."

"Chinese."

"Zhè shì yīgè fēicháng jiǎndān de yǔyán, dàn wǒ gèng xǐhuan chuántǒng de biǎoshì." (這是一個非常簡單的語言，但我更喜歡傳統的表示。)

"French."

"Êtes-vous intéressé à prendre des leçons?" She sent a small, subtle smirk, and when he noticed, his face flushing at the unfamiliar sentence, she wiggled her eyebrows, watching as he squirmed a little and sent her a slight scowl. "I couldn't understand any of that.."

"That was the point," she flashed him a grin, her eyelids drooping over her eyes as she gave him an innocent look, "I can't have you unwrapping my layers all at once.. I'm much too complex for that.." "Care to translate that last one..?" he raised an eyebrow in obvious suspicion, "I'm not sure if that tone of yours was good or not.." "The French swing either way, actually," Natasha flashed him a grin, plopping a bite of pancake in her mouth, eyes nearly sparkling, "It could be either or it could be both.. Depends on the speaker and the hidden meaning.."

"And what exactly _was_ the hidden meaning?" he persisted, his plate nearly cleared of food, as well as hers.

"If I told you that, you'd get ideas," she grinned again, but a flush had tinted the tips of her cheekbones a light pink. Her eyes shut tight as she tilted her head, more like a dog, this time, "You'd either get mad or I'd be mortified.. I prefer your ignorance.."

"Was it an insult?" he sounded curious, and his expression mirrored his tone. Natasha shook her head quickly, immediately waving her hands sharply from side to side to dispel the thought, "Uh-uh- No-! Definitely not-!" "Tell me," he encouraged, his lips twitching up in the corner as he watched her start to cave, turning away from him with her face flushing gently. "I don't think I should," she laughed softly, but it was a quiet, strained sound.

"Please?" he asked.

She completely stopped breathing at that point, turning her eyes just enough to see his honest expression, before she swallowed, lowering her head toward the table as she grimaced, cursing her hormones for flushing not only her face, but now her neck and ears as well..

She was quiet for a second, before she stood, taking her empty dishes into her arms and bringing them toward the sink. She rolled up the hoodie sleeves, summoning every ounce of nerve she possessed to repeat her words in Japanese.

"Would you like to have lessons..?" she stated slowly, enunciating each word carefully, finally turning to meet his eyes.

 _Damn me and my big mouth..._


	44. Chapter 9: part 5

_I take it back…_

She wasn't quite sure what happened after she'd translated. There was a point of quiet, and a bit of a blank, but when she gathered up her thoughts again, she'd been moved from the sink to the counter, the small of her back pressed lightly into the cool countertop, and her fingers curled into soft, damp strands of pumpkin orange hair..

 _And damn her to Hell if she didn't enjoy it…_

"Is.." he mumbled under his breath, and, catching his volume, cleared his throat. He seemed tense now, and she could tell he was suddenly unsure. "Is this really alright with you?"

"Hmm.." she murmured sarcastically, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly as the corner of her mouth tilted upward, "You ask me that after you pin me to the counter..? Did you stop for a moment to think I might actually _want you to_?" He had nothing to say to that, too busy trying to look over her words, reading and re-reading to see if he could find something negative in them. It was her who broke the spell, and, in his opinion, it was a preferable way to get him to internally (or externally) shut up; now, and in the near future.

Her lips brushed against his once, twice, three, four times, and her fingers were tugging at his hair. Her legs, hanging from the edge of the counter, slyly fit around his waist, drawing him closer so she could wind an arm around his neck, the other slipping down to palm his neck, collarbone, chest, torso.. He shuddered slightly when her fingers brushed over sensitive spots, the fabric doing nothing to alleviate the touch, though he could argue that he already felt practically naked in front of her right now. He felt exposed and hot and cold all at the same time..

Not that she felt any different…

His fingers left thin, hot trails of fire in their wake as he carefully dragged his hands up and down her waist, the girl beneath him giving a delicate shudder before he felt a sharp tug at his hair, and a soft, warm touch on his bottom lip. More out of surprise than he was willing to admit, his lips parted to let her small pink tongue trace his bottom lip gently, pulling herself closer to the point that if he were to step back, she'd be relying solely on him to keep from falling. Natsume carefully traced his tongue across her lip, his fingers curling into her commandeered sweatshirt when her lips parted compliantly. Their tongues touched gently, as if shy, before becoming more-

The doorbell rang.

The doorbell.

Rang.

"Chii-chan.."

That was Louis's voice…

Natasha pulled away from Natsume with reluctance, giving him a pointed look before turning to look at the door. "Should we let him in..?"

"If we don't, we might regret it," he muttered, sighing as they untangled themselves and she slid off of the counter, dusting down her body and wiping at her mouth. He took a moment to appreciate the flush of her face and the soft swell of her lips, before blowing out a sigh, and moving to open the door.

"Louis, come in," he stepped aside to let his ash-blonde brother into the room, the younger male dressed in casual clothes, tan pants, a navy blue shirt and a purple shawl. "Morning.. Natsume," he greeted amiably, eyeing him for a second longer than he usually did, before gesturing to his shoulder, "I brought.. Juli.."

"She'll be happy to see him," the ginger nodded, closing the door when he'd come in, and treading back into the room to see her waving her wrist around, freezing in his racks to see the blonde once again present, but this time enjoying a large sort of milkshake, eyeing him sharply as the breakfast dishes cleaned themselves in the sink, were dried by a floating towel and levitated themselves into cupboards.

"Louis is here-!" his tone was a tad too loud, but Natasha barely seemed fazed, merely offering him a nod before continuing to wave her wrist. He caught the towel just as Louis stepped in, the last dish settling into the cabinet with a clatter before the near sparkling kitchen caught his eye.

 _Dear god, why did she do that..?_

"Because it was messy," she replied casually, as if he'd spoken aloud, but when he looked to her, and she realized he hadn't, she smacked her face, looking away in embarrassment. "Sorry," she muttered, clearly upset at having listened to another unintentional prayer. The older angel's warnings about her abilities manifesting seemed to be coming true.

"I'll make tea," he replied instead, turning to glance once at his now reflective stove before shaking his head, and reaching for his kettle. This would be an interesting day.

* * *

"You remember me..?" Arrow seemed almost stunned as he sat across the small table from the ash haired Asahina, "I would have thought you'd forget, it's been almost a year.."

"Your hair is like.. golden silk," Louis replied softly, sending him a patient smile, "And you have.. A strange glow.. Around you.. Just like.. Chii-chan.."

"I _glow_..?" Natasha sounded stunned, to say the least, eyes wide in curiosity while Arrow merely blinked. Natsume was pouring tea, all occupants sitting around the table, while Juli sat in her lap. "Mhhm," Louis nodded, almost serene, "The first time.. I was near your room.. There was a glow.. Beneath the door.. You still.. Glow with.. a soft white.." "What color does he glow?" Natasha asked quickly, her hand reaching out to unconsciously fist the elder angel's jacket collar, "Is it white like mine..?"

"He is.. Golden," Louis shook his head, but seemed not to be uncomfortable in the least, "I could see.. His wings.. But.. yours.. Were different."

" _Mine_ -" Natasha nearly choked on her tea while Natsume remained silent, some pieces were being discovered to a puzzle none of them had a clue of putting together. "What do you mean, mine-? I don't have wings-!"

"I see.. An outline.." Louis shook his head slowly, lifting out his hand to hover over her back, tracing his fingers along a large, unseen arc, "It is.. Very glittery.. And it shines.."

"Well that is interesting," Arrow admit after a few silent moments, hot chocolate in place for tea warming his gloved hands, "I was unaware that humans were capable of such high spiritual vision. You, dear sir, are a miracle.."

"That's so cliche, just call him epic," Natasha whined, shooting Arrow a displeased look, "We know the bible's a load of bull, stop condoning it.."

"Pardon?" Now it was Natsume's turn to insert. He wasn't aware of that, "So there's no Adam and Eve..? No forbidden fruit..? Heaven? Hell?"

"Heaven, Hell, and the middle ground are real," Arrow corrected calmly, "But the bible is a pipe dream of a crazy author in times where fear ruled over logic and people were desperate. The forbidden fruit was based after the betrayal of Scythe, to His Majesty and Adam and Eve were the ridiculous start of male egos to think that females were made to serve them, thus the gender inequality that is still effective today in less notably "free" nations."

"Isn't god a "She" anyway?" Natasha asked idly, not really caring as she swiped a scone from a pile of sweets Arrow had created himself, "You said something about her amusement with the recognition and acceptance to the general term."

"By all physical rights, "God" is female," Arrow nodded in confirmation. Natsume had a headache, Juli already looked dead, and Louis merely sipped his tea.

What a lovely little family.

"Should I show them?" Natasha asked suddenly. There was quiet, and even Juli perked up to look at her. Arrow watched her in silence, blinking his emerald green orbs in thought, as if trying to piece together what he meant.

"The anime," she turned to him, and for once, his expression shifted into obvious unease, "Should I show them?"

"Anime?" Natsume repeated, surprised. Their talk went from higher powers to daytime television in a matter of seconds, "What does anime have to do with this..?"

Arrow sent her a look, one neither of the boys could see, since their eyes were on her, and she sighed, shaking her head as she lifted a hand, waving it softly side to side with a hum, "I meant manga, sorry.." She grunted a bit as she got to her feet, rolling her shoulders before she padded into the corner, where her overly-stuffed messenger bag sat dutifully. She picked it up, and, turning back, caught Arrow's facial expression, which looked on the path of an aneurysm, before she pulled out eight different books, all half the size of a normal textbook, and set them on the table, and reaching for her tea, "The manga I made."

Arrow's anime-fall couldn't have been more epic.

* * *

"Thank-you Louis-nii," Natasha hugged the ash haired male once more before the decided to head home. They'd spent the morning there, Natsume having called to give his co worker a heads-up to cover for him.

In his defense, it really was a family crisis.

Now they were standing outside the residence, and Natasha was holding Louis's hand. Juli was perched on her shoulder, and she as basking in the warm noon sunlight. They'd talked the entire time back, but since they'd spent further time at Natsume's they had never gone on a boat ride at the park. They did, however, end up falling asleep during their time at Natsume's, curled up together on his couch, where Natasha got to see Juli's humanoid form. And if he hadn't been a squirrel in the physical world, she would have called him cute.

"I'm nervous," she admit softly as they hesitated outside the doors. Her fingers tightened around his, and she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, "What if they're not as accepting as you and Natsume..? They could call me crazy, and I'd be-"

"Chii-chan," Louis murmured, and she turned her head to watch him lift their hands, bringing her knuckles to his lips and pressing softly, "Relax.."

"It's eating at me but I'm afraid," she muttered, lowering her head in disdain and gritting her teeth, "I'm afraid something bad will happen if tell you, but that it will be worse if I don't.. It's just a feeling, but.."

She cut herself at the soft feel of lips at her temple, a soothing touch she thought only Arrow had the power to give.

"Relax," Louis murmured, holding her closely with his arm wrapped gently around her torso, "I'll be there.. With you.. So please.. Calm down.."

"Thank you," her arms wound behind him, and her fingers tangled into his shirt, her eyes pinching shut as she smiled, "Thank you, Aniki…"

Once they'd exchanged their shoes for slippers, and he'd taken her jacket, she started to fidget. She was wondering how she should do this. Apologize for the inconvenience, then request a family meeting? Well, she'd need to factor in how Futo would torment her, -if she could handle the patience required to deal with him- as well as Wataru, who she may have to hide it from all together.

It wasn't that big of a surprise when Louis lead her into the livingroom, where the majority of the brothers sat, minus, of course, Natsume, Kaname, Hikaru and Futo- most likely work and life for the last three.

Yusuke and Wataru were perched delicately on the couch, perking up instantly when they'd seen her round the corner, but hesitating, almost as if told to step back and wait. Masaomi and Ukyo stood before her, having gathered at Louis's call of entry, while Iori and Subaru were just coming in from the back gardens, and stopping to watch, bated breath.

Without stopping to think and plan out anything, she bent deeply at the waist to the eldest brothers, her eyes cast down as hair sliding around her neck and upper back as she addressed Masaomi and Ukyo.

"I am very, very sorry for troubling you.. I was going through a very difficult time, and despite the circumstances, there was no excuse for my actions."

"We've been waiting for you," Masaomi sighed, and here was a tenseness there, something she'd only heard at the hospital, that he released. The firm set of his shoulders relaxing as she hesitantly stood from her bow. "Welcome home."

"Welcome home," Ukyo repeated, giving her a gentle, tentative smile. It seems they were left in the dark about her situation. That would either be good or bad in the long run. "I will call those of us that are not here."

"If it's not too much to ask," she inserted softly, watching as their faces turned immediately, watching expectantly as they waited for her request. She quickly held up her hands in surrender, giving them an uneasy smile, "It's nothing big-! Really, I just-! Would like a family meeting.. It does not really matter if Papa and Mrs- I mean- Mama- are here.. I just.. Have something to talk to you brothers about.. It's.." her face fell, and they seemed to catch on to her her anxiety in the set of their shoulders, "It's kind of a big deal.."

"I'll see what I can do," Ukyo nodded, and Masaomi hummed in agreement.

Iori seemed to find his voice, because he stepped forward, seemingly oblivious to the sudden conversation that transpired quietly, "Welcome home-!" He was giving her a dashing, princely smile, and Natasha couldn't help but smile back, her frame relaxing as she lifted an errant hand to pet Juli along his back, "It's good to be home, Iori-nii.."

She peeked past Iori to see Subaru, his big gray-blue eyes turned in either embarrassment or unease, she could not name. "W-.. Welcome home," he muttered, but she could still hear it clearly.

"Thank you, Subaru-nii," she smiled, turning her head when Yusuke finally found the nerve to speak up, standing from the couch, still in his uniform tracksuit, staring at her in a mixture of worry and exasperation, "We were worried about you, you know-! Seriously-! Don't do that again-! You could have wound up seriously hurt-!"

She didn't remember him rambling that much in the anime, but the gesture still touched her heart, so when she ran up to give Yusuke a big hug, though it shut him up, she relished in his warmth for a moment, before turning to face Wataru, just as he jumped, and catching him in her arms, his face burying in her collarbone so his voice was muffled into the bright purple sweater Louis had brought to her. "Onee-chan-!"

"Wataru," she murmured, tears pricking at her eyes as she smiled, nuzzling her face into his hair with a deep breath, "I am sorry for worrying you, my little Taru-chan.."

"You worried me, so prepare to be punished." Wataru's voice was suddenly lower, and she jerked to stand straight, looking down at him as he stood immobile, "Your punishment will start when I return."

"Wataru-!" Natasha gasped, the scene behind her breaking like glass as she stared down at him in shock, "No~! Why~?!"

He looked up at her with a sudden, sly grin, and she almost had the urge to flick his forehead. That little brat… "Hehehe.." He hopped back a step, and pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve, holding it out to her dutifully with his trademark innocent smile, "It's from Fu-ton..!"

She took the piece of paper between the tips of her thumbs and index fingers, (L style.) frowning at the message written there.

 _You worried me, so prepared to be punished. Your punishment will start when I return~ Futo_

 _That little asshole_ , she idly thought, but the smile that touched her lips was an honest reaction. He'd literally admit she'd worried him. She'd tease him about it later. Tucking the paper into her pocket, she watched as Masaomi's big hand touched Wataru's shoulder, his expression concerned, but also kind, "Now, that's enough, Wataru." He looked over to her then, and she almost completely relaxed. "Are you tired?"

"Not particularly," she shook her head, the impending weight of what she was about to reveal sat heavily on one shoulder, while Juli held position lightly on the other.

"Are you sure?" Masaomi's brow furrowed, and she could see the undertone of concern, though he was trying moderately hard to hide it. "You can go and take a rest if you'd like.."

"I'd actually like to make dinner tonight," she cut in calmly, turning a sweet, almost intentionally manipulative smile towards Ukyo. She needed to do something productive. And she had to apologize somehow, "If that's okay with Ukyo-nii, of course."

"Well," he sighed, good naturedly, and resigned, "I suppose if you would like.."

Wataru was cheering before she could.

"Yay~!" Her little ball of energy literally leaped into the air with joy, arms outstretched in glee and wrapping his sister in a hug, his face pressed dangerously close to uncharted torso territory. "I want hamburger~! Oh-! Oh-! I wanna eat curry, too-! I know-! I know-! Why don't we have hamburger curry-?! Please Onee-chan~! Please~!"

"Sounds great Little Warrior," she smiled, pecking his forehead and addressing the boys, "Any objections?"

"Thank you," Ukyo nodded, and Natasha gave them each a meek smile before taking Wataru's hand, the small child practically skipping beside her as she was half lead/half dragged to the kitchen. She'd helped Wataru into a mini apron, then tied on her own, re-pinning her hair into a high, messy bun, before she set Wataru to washing the vegetables.

Deciding that rolls and mashed potatoes would go good as side dishes, she also prepped that, as well as for the apology, she created the mixtures for several creme pies, two chocolate silk and two strawberry creme.

She'd left Wataru to stir on low heat for a minute while she prepped the pie crusts, nearly biting her lip in concentration to edge at the ends equally.

It was nearing an hour later that they had finished dinner, Yusuke pitching in to set the table, while Iori handled drinks. Subaru had offered to help, but a quick shooing motion had told him to enjoy his break from his brothers.

Natasha was letting the scent of curry and spices fill the kitchen, giggling along with Wataru as she told stories of her lessons, the pranks she would pull on her tutors occasionally, of her many trips to places such as New York and Miami, of the people she had met and the places she'd seen.

 _"What's important isn't blood, it's how you relate in your heart."_

Louis's earlier words echoed in her mind, and she felt a familiar, calming warmth in her chest. She breathed a soft sigh of contentment, listening to Wataru' own, fun recounts of school and trips.

"A smile really does suit you best, Chii.."

She paused her pie filling, tilting the bowl back up to keep it from spilling, and turned to look behind her. Juli sat perched on the counter behind her, and he looked much more serene than usual. His big, blue eyes blinked evenly at her, and she resisted to urge to bite her lip. He looked so at ease, that, despite her own obvious anxiety, he tried to relax her with his tiny smile. It worked.

Dinner went off without a hitch, but with each passing second, her anxiety doubled inside of her. Eventually, it had gotten to the point where she couldn't even swallow. Louis saved her by the end, having rubbed gentle, soothing circles into the hand she had held beneath the table.

Dishes were left to the boys and she was sent to relax.

Juli was napping on the sofa, so, rather than waking him, she allowed Wataru to keep him for the night, having him promise to keep him warm with lot of cuddles.

When she'd gotten back to her room, Arrow was twirling in his mistress's desk seat, a stick of what looked like a fudge pop sticking out of his mouth. He stopped when the door had shut, and faced her, pulling the confirmed ice cream treat from his mouth, and eyeing her speculatively.

"When do you plan on dropping the bomb?" he asked bluntly, twirling the treat in his gloved hand, magic being the only thing keeping it from melting. "You know it will take several days for them to adjust, if they choose to accept it, at all."

"By the end of summer vacation." Natasha informed him, giving him a stern nod as she moved to plop onto her bed, arms crossed over her chest and her back straight, "I have no intention of inadvertently lying to them any longer, and with the threat of Limbo with my bounty- I'm not sure how much longer I have left to stay here.."

"What?"

Natasha flashed the blonde in the room a look of pure malice, eyes set and her jaw clenched tightly, "You think he wouldn't tell me? He's been a _hell_ of a lot more honest than you have."

Arrow's ice cream disappeared as he gaped at her, his lips parting softly as he searched for words. He was counting on his brother's attitude to drive her away.

Apparently that wasn't the case.

"No words?" she asked casually, lifting a leg to fold it over the other in a confident pose, "No excuses? When did you plan on telling me? Or did you not think I was deserving to know."

"Natasha-" he started, and the tone of voice told her everything she needed to know about "when".

" _Answer_ ," she spit the world like a jagged knife, and the blonde closed his eyes, clenching his jaw and swallowing back what she guessed was an argument.

" _Limbo_ ," he said the word with a reverence that could make Hitler seem like Gandhi, "was never supposed to be _involved_.. I had _hoped_ you would grow out of this game and _pick a side_ by now. It's nearly been a year."

" _How many times_ do I have to tell you-?!" she was almost yelling now, having jumped to her feet to stand her ground, only a few inches taller when he was sitting in the chair, "I don't trust you-! And I don't trust Bao-! I'm not picking between the both of you when I _know_ I'm only going to be used-! I'm not as naive as you seem to think I am-! And _for the record_ -!"

She reached her hand forward, grasping him by the chain of the golden crucifix at his neck, pulling him closer to her face so he could clearly see and hear the venom in her eyes and voice, "Bao told me about being a real angel. When did you want to tell me _that_?"

She let him go abruptly, and stalked to her balcony, prying open the door and stepping back, before shooting him a look. She pointed a finger sharply to the open air, her ire nearly radiating off of her body in waves. "Get. _Out_."

"I can't leave you-" he started to protest, already on his feet to shut the door, but she had cut him off quickly, her expression unwavering from the disappointment and anger. "Then sleep in the _goddamned_ tree-! I _don't_ want to see you right now-!"

They stood in absolute silence for an entire minute, before Arrow inhaled, and exhaled slowly, then nodded, his footsteps steady and smooth as he strode out onto her balcony, unfurled his wings, and darted into the tree that stood proud in their round front yard. The leaves were still thick along the branches, so there was no real need to ignore him.

Out of sight and out of mind.

Before she decided that meeting with Bao was in her best interests, she made a small bowl of chocolate truffles, and carried them out to her balcony. She set them out on the ledge in silence, not once looking out to the courtyard tree, before spinning on her heel, and going back inside.

She locked the balcony door for good measure, closing the curtains tightly before flipping off the lights. A simple snap changed her clothes and she pulled the comforter off of her bed before slipping beneath it, and closing her eyes.


	45. Chapter 9 (Final)

"Again."

There was a loud crack, of wood on wood.

"That sucked. Do it again."

A louder sound, this time of air being upset.

"You missed."

There was the distinct sound of wood hitting flesh, and a low grunt of exertion.

"...Not bad."

"Guess you just needed to piss me off enough," the teen muttered, straightening from her offensive stance to face the red-eyed male. His crimson orbs were practically glowing in their darkened void, but there was a strange lightness to the empty space around them, as if they were encased in a slowly fading bubble of light that shone bright in the center, and slowly dimmed as it grew outward, the span of light just over twelve or so meters. It took a change of clothes and a wooden stick thrown at her before Bao was willing to explain their first lesson.

Kendo.

Frankly, she was a noob- whoever the hell said they perfected shit right off the bat was lying out their ass- and despite the estranged toil of her genes ( white hair was seriously a pain ) she was definitely no Mary-Sue. All of her "talents" came with painstaking years of childhood work and nurture. She'd developed each of the skills she was given, not because it was unrealistically expected of her to know so much, but because her father's wife -his true wife- couldn't be bothered to be seen by a metaphorical black sheep. And that was saying something, considering of the five siblings, she had three half-siblings with raven black hair, and one full sibling with chocolate brown. Not so much an anomaly as she figured at it would be if it were for a normal family.. But..-

"Hey, focus-!"

She ducked just in time to miss the swipe of a kendo stick aimed for the center of her face, hopping back with grace she could only vaguely recall from gymnastics before setting herself up in a more defensive stance. The shadowy figures that were sparring her -two in total- were mere shadowy blobs of humanoid forms, however, the kendo sticks they carried with them were very real.

And very painful.

" _Ouch, damn it_ -!" Natasha hissed, just managing to duck beneath another attempt to her body, her throat this time, if her trajectory was correct, and it usually was, only to feel something at her ankle, internally cursing herself at having ignored the other pesky shadow, only to feel a thwack to the back of her ankles, and get sprawling back onto her behind.

Two narrow-ended swords were placed at the base of her throat, both blobs standing above her with silent victory. If they were capable of emotion, she would assume they were smug. The man currently outside of the designated ring certainly was.

"Man, when you said you'd never fought with swords before, you weren't kidding.." Bao's dismissing whistle let the blobs dissipate back into misty air, before disappearing altogether, letting the sticks fall to the ground with a clatter before they, too, disappeared. "It seems the first thing I'm going to have to teach you is proper handling.. It's a sword, not a broom."

"Bao," the teen sighed, accepting his hand to stand once he had reached her, and it was only a matter of pulling herself up and dusting off her wish-up kendo garb. "It's not like I don't appreciate your willingness to teach me this stuff, but.." She trailed off meaningfully, and sighed, shaking her head, "Please remember that I'm a beginner.. I know that I need to beat you at our worst, but for now.. Let me try at at a pace that won't metaphorically kill me."

Bao inhaled deeply, and released the air in a deep sigh, giving her a slow, observing look before he swept his arm out, and flicked his wrist. A long, cherrywood kendo stick materializing in his hand, before he held it out to her in a challenging manner, having moved to the opposite end of the ring to face her, a predatory gleam in his crimson orbs.

"If you can manage to knock the weapon from my hand, there is an infinitesimally small chance that you will lose."

Natasha sighed, shaking her head once more before righting her stance the way he had shown her. She wasn't overly enthusiastic about being torn apart by the fallen angel. Not in the least.

But that didn't mean she was going to put up with his attitude for much longer…

They stood in absolute silence for several, long seconds, and it became quickly apparent to the raven that she wasn't going to strike first. With a groan befitting of a tempered child, his shoulders sagged, and he sent her an exasperated look, "Listen, kid, if you don't take this seriously, you're gonna wind up as a shish-ka-bob.."

"I'm not gonna strike first-!" she snapped, falling out of formation long enough to shoot him a sassy glare, "I don't roll that way-!" "Clearly you are not meant for combat," the raven sighed, letting his head hag low as he blew a wavy lock of black hair from his face, "We've got a long way to go.."

"Wait- what?" She perked up immediately, and her stance was completely lost, the older male groaning louder now as he stood straight up, and eyed her with incredulity. Seeing the question in his eyes, she lifted her hands in a gesture of explanation, her eyes brighter than they were before, and her tense shoulders less angry, more energetic, "You literally just pulled a Mulan quote out of nowhere-Wait-... I think I have an idea about how to train-!"

"By all means.." he muttered, waving his arm in a dismissing gesture before falling back, a large, throne-like chair appearing out of the black mist, as he reclined in it lazily, "Go ahead."

* * *

*Insert "I'll Make a Man Out of You" Montage*

* * *

"Was that musical number, _really_ necessary?" Bao asked, finally deadpan as he blinked owlishly toward his newest pupil. "I can understand your need for motivation.. But that was ridiculous.."

"Hey, I kicked your ass, didn't I?" she sniffed, the pleased, smug smile having not left her face for nearly ten minutes now, "A means to an end, or so they say.." "It took three minutes," The raven muttered, rolling his eyes before addressing her, "But.. you did well.. And as for your _Semper_ , remember, it's only a matter of unlocking that special case in our soul.. You have to be completely at ease with your being. One hundred percent accepting of your situation to create an extension of your soul that won't collapse." "Got it," she nodded dutifully, stopping once she had reached the created door. It was a large, white marble, with gleaming silver handles.

"And Natasha," he called as an afterthought, she was one foot into the black abyss beyond the door, but managed to turn her head over her shoulder to listen.

"If, at any point you need me.." he trailed off slowly, his eyebrows pulled together as he jerked his chin toward the door, "You can call, alright..?"

"Thank you."

* * *

Spring passed in a blur of manga manuscripts (with the occasional help of Kaname), anime lines (practicing with Tsubaki), rehabilitating Azuza into a healthy lifestyle.. (With force from Masaomi), videogames (Alternately between Wataru and Yusuke), insults (only with Futo), cooking (with Ukyo), gardening (with Iori), Stamina training (Subaru had helped her with that- she could now confidently jog the entire way to school with minimal sweat), she'd sent publishing appeals to Hikaru in an effort to ease her profession into the family's knowings, and avoided Arrow as often as possible.

He was still a fissure in her daily life, but there was much less of the bright, amiable disposition that held cloaked them like a shield. Now their interactions were short, and polite at best.

What did he expect, for lying to her for so long about something so important..?

Her occasional nights of sleep, which she could honestly and comfortably count on less than a hand and a half, were filled with training from Bao. He schooled her reflexes and mind, so that her muscles would react to the memory, occasionally fully pulling her into Hell if he decided on letting her use her gifts during training.

It was in those times that she became much closer to Jax..

The initial reveal of her identity to the orange-haired male had him, quite literally, passing out from information overload and anxiety. Bao was cool with it, as far as she could tell, and the demon had been "assigned" to her, so to speak, for whatever she may need, whenever she may need it. He'd apologized for hours on his knees with his face smashed in the floor for how he treated her at the gathering, but a few promises of future respect were dashed when she'd hauled him up and gave him a noogie.

Finding out he was an incubus was more than a little shocking, seeing as though his pheromones were locked, he still had to touch his prey, meaning if he touched someone directly, whether either party did it first, they would be the equivalent of high and drunk simultaneously.

When he'd found out she was immune, he'd been shocked, finding out why clicked everything into place and he was much more comfortable in receiving her rough affectionate noogies and hugs. Though he still accidentally caller her Hime-sama, or Miss too often for her liking.

He _had_ helped her through that awful gathering, after all.

The morning after their first night of training, she'd woken up with several new rings on her fingers, both of them cold, brushed metal colors on her right hand. She now had three in total. One was a replica of Bao's golden and emerald class-ring, but it was silver, with a blood red stone, sitting on her right hand's middle finger. There was also a thinner, more narrow band on her right ring finger, a similar silver, but with a magenta stone. The vaguely registered that the rings belonged to the person with the corresponding eyes.

That was easier to memorize than she'd thought it would be…

As much as she was loath to admit it, she was uneasy, terrified, even, of how her brothers were going to react. Natsume and Louis had sworn to keep her secret until she revealed it, but until then, she weekly talked to Natsume over the phone. Then there was the matter of the bounty hunters.. Aura's of which she could occasionally, vaguely feel tingling at the back of her neck.. A little sensory trick Bao taut her. Angel things, and all that.

Bao was starting to become more reliable than Arrow.

Wasn't that just ironic?


	46. Chapter 10: Part 1

Natasha woke up from her weekly night of sleep, blinking her eyes until they had adjusted to the sun pouring through the balcony curtains. She hesitated, before slowly sitting up, covering a wince of physical pain as she felt the phantom aches across her body. There were three major ones, all from Bao's shadow clones. (Something else he had taught her to create (though they were vague and sketchy at best.)) But none from the man himself. She was progressing, slowly she admit, but her only issues now that she'd developed a rhythm was adjusting to higher numbers of opponents.

She'd managed to dispel three of the shadows before she'd collapsed, but four was sort of pushing it.

Well, we all had our limits..

And she was still training.. If she kept at it…

Arrow was still on her shit-list, but was, in her opinion, momentarily tolerable. In actuality, he'd begun opening up much more.

He'd revealed several very key things.

First and foremost being that he'd assigned her with several guardian angels. They were on previous assignments presently, but would join her at their earliest convenience.

Secondly, he had explained how the offices worked, the tiers of ranking from executives to warriors(Where Arrow was assigned), to desk clerks. She'd also been given the rundown about manners. Apparently, if she were to ever be summoned to either his Lord or Bao's Lord, she would need to have incomparable manners. Bowing, speaking, and all that..

Jeez…

Presently, she was dressing for the day. It was nearing the end of summer vacation, and it was only a matter of time before Kaname invited the family to the monastery. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't looking forward to it. It would be her first trip to a certified temple. _Even if it was a hosting establishment._

They would have a small break at the beginning of summer, mainly for students to be able to freely study. However, if the day went how she thought it would, the majority of the family might be able to be together. For the month that happened after her little power-trip Natasha was left with either one or several of the brothers being gone at all times. Hopefully that would change tonight.

* * *

"I win again-!" Wataru cheered happily, throwing his arms in the air as the female beside him slumped onto the living room floor, defeated. "Onee-chan-!" he chirped, leaning over to shake her shoulder in excitement, "Let's play another game-! Please, please, please~?" "Of course, Taru-chan," Natasha smiled, shaking her head as she sat back up, popping both her spine and neck before reaching for the controller, "What game next?"

* * *

"Aah-ah-! Yusuke- _duck_ -!" Natasha practically tackled the poor red-head out of the kitchen entryway, a sound not unlike an explosion happening in the kitchen behind them and a bright yellow substance coating some of the stove and floor. Natasha sat up with a moan of disdain, while Yusuke sputter obscenities about the situation. The fact that she was covered in batter and sugar seemed to escape him while he gripped her shoulders and looked her over for wounds. She hid her flinches when he'd jolted her sides, and sighed in silent relief when she was released, listening with rapt attention while he berated her for eleven minutes about the importance of kitchen safety and that if she needed help there were plenty of tall men in the house that could grab whatever she needed before she wiped out again.

That cake was a fail, but she'd wrangled Yusuke into helping her with the second one using puppy-dog eyes.

* * *

Dinner came and went, with only Masaomi, Ukyo, Kaname, Azuza, Yusuke, herself and Wataru at the table, the rest all being at work or doing club activities. Ukyo had allowed her to help cook, but denied her help cleaning up.

While Ukyo had dismissed himself to clean, once again shooting her a look when she tried sneaking off to clean the table, and begrudgingly left to spend time with the others in the livingroom. They were all chatting softly, Wataru sitting on her lap as she played with his hair, sitting criss-cross on the floor with her back against the seat of the couch, humming softly.

She hadn't noticed Kaname sneak off to find something after dinner, but his presence had definitely startled her when she glanced up, only to see said blonde only inches away from her face, crouched low to give her a devilish grin. The squeal she gave put dying cats to shame.

The others stopped what they were doing at her startled squeak, Ukyo even poking his head out of the kitchen with a start when Kaname only laughed merrily, watching his sister sit in bristled ire as she held Wataru in an almost obsessively protective hold beside her, as if to shield him.

"That was so not funny, Kana-nii-!" Natasha snapped, though it had a bit of a whine added to the tone, relaying her surprise and begrudging amusement, "You nearly gave me a heart attack-!"

"Aww," the blonde cooed, shrugging to get more comfortable as he stood, standing firmly with his usual, casual aura, "Imouto is so cute when she is startled, though."

"What's that in your hand," she asked, rather than replied, as she managed to unglue herself from the startled Wataru, no doubt having been put into shock when he'd been tugged abruptly into a protective embrace.

"This, my dear Imouto, is your ticket to relaxation~!" He sang happily, bouncing on the balls of his feet before he gestured into a dramatic pose, one that had her softly snorting while he brandished the flier in his hand to show the eldest, Azuza and Yusuke, who sat near one another on the couch. "For all you troubled students studying for the college entrance exams-" he waved his arm out, displaying the elegant flier, the three, aesthetically pleasing men on the cover surrounded in black and silver glitter, holding prayer beads, while the man in the center held a lavender colored lotus flower. The details to what appeared to be a festival were printed neatly to the right of the image, "-I bestow upon you a revelation-!"

"What's that?" Yusuke deadpanned, sitting precariously on the edge of the couch, and only vaguely blushing when his sister hopped up to sit beside him, in order to get a better view of Kaname's proposal. Just as Kaname opened his mouth, Natasha synced her words with his.

 _"It refers to something revealed by the gods."_

The brothers darted their eyes between the slightly surprised blonde and the curious looking silverette, the lone female's golden eyes looking over the colorful haori. They looked very delicate..

Pressing on, Kaname sent his sister a smile before continuing. "You know, since the overseas trip got cancelled, I thought a short trip might not be such a bad idea." Yusuke plucked the outstretched flier from his older brother, Natasha leaning over his shoulder to get a better view of it as well.

"Club Buddha.." Natasha read aloud, her English smooth and natural, "Isn't that where you work..? That monastery place..?" She sent him a slightly confused look, playing up the part, and Kaname perched onto the seat beside Yusuke, facing the two teens with a warm smile, though it was mainly directed at the female. "It's a Buddhist service. The head temple of our sect is in Yatsugatake, and they have kind of a little festival.." Natasha watched as his face softened in reverence to the temple, making him look almost five years younger.

"Who are these guys posing in the photo..?" Yusuke asked curiously, his eyebrows furrowed as he held the flier back out towards the blonde.

"They're my colleagues," Kaname smiled in an almost rueful way, as one would concerning a respectful rival, though his tone turned more sultry as he gave his sister a smooth wink, "And the best looking one of the bunch is named Younin-" "Is it him?" Natasha asked in faux, perky curiosity, nearly leaning over Yusuke's lap as she pointed to the male on the right. Glass seemed to shatter behind Kaname's eyes, breaking his out of his pre-determined pose, mimicked off of the flier, and Yusuke snorted, bringing the back of his hand to his mouth as he fought off a laugh.

"Younin is me.." he said smoothly, though they was a low tone of disappointment in his reverence as he pointed to his own silhouette in the picture. Azuza covered a snicker.

"Ooh.." Natasha murmured, nodding sagely before she plucked up the flier to examine it herself, "I'd like to know if his hair is natural, though.. It's a bit too silver to be blonde.."

"Imouto.." Kaname murmured under his breath, clearly looking as if several arrows had pierced his torso.

"This is seriously awesome, Kana-nii-san," Natasha grinned toward the sulking blonde, catching him off guard as she flashed her teeth in a pearly white smile, "You must have one of the most peaceful jobs in the world.." He blinked in wonder at the soft, gentle smile on her face, before grinning like a loon, and hopping up, only to drape himself over the back of the couch beside his sister, briefly bopping their foreheads together before he gave her a sultry smile. "My sweet little sister.. I'll chant the Lord Buddha's love by your bedside until dawn.. Let's pass into Nirvana together..."

Natasha looked up and away from her Miroku of a brother to see Ukyo seething only a foot away, a shining silver frying pan and his glasses glinting ominously in the fiery (literally) rage of his aura. "You're acting like some male escort, despite the fact that you're a clergyman.."

 _CLANG_

 _"It is obscene-!"_

Natasha's jaw dropped as the pan resonated against the back of Kaname's head, the sound ringing out as she eyed Ukyo with mild adoration. Kaname nursed the back of his head with a pained grunt, but his expression held no remorse. He winced, delicately probing the area with his fingers, as he muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear. "Uh- well… We have the stamp of approval from the head temple… so there aren't any fakes…"

Ukyo still glowed with a deep purple miasma, so Natasha took it upon herself to snap a few silent photos of the moment. _Ukyo with his trusty frying pan._

"Now, now," Masaomi called out, and as if it were talisman, the miasma instantly cleared, Ukyo's expression calmed, and Kaname glanced up to the eldest in surprise. "This is basically like a summer festival, right..?"

Kaname perked up immediately, pumping his fist in victory as he gave the light brunette a beaming grin, "I can always count on you, Masa-nii-! That's exactly right-!"

"I wanna go to the festival-!" Wataru cheered brightly. Natasha sent the younger by a sweet smile and looked between the others as she was pulled into a hug by said boy, who had taken to gripping her hands, "Can we go Onee-chan-?! Can we-?! I wanna see you in a kimono-!"

"Kimono.." Natasha repeated numbly, her face remaining blank while fireworks danced behind her eyes. She'd only worn a kimono once before in her life..

That night was like a dream...

"Yeah," Masaomi cut in after a moment of everyone's silence, "Maybe we could go.."

"Masaomi-nii-san-!" Ukyo called out, both surprised and disapproving. His eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth was pressed in a stern line.

Unknown to the blonde, Natasha was cuddling Wataru to her chest, her face still carefully blank as sparkles of pure joy surrounded her in a sweet, hopeful aura. "A real, honest-to-god shrine festival.."

"Yatsugatake, huh?" Azuza murmured, snapping the teen from her mini fantasy of skipping through a festival in a simple yukata with Wataru at her side.. _Maybe they had that goldfish game..? And sweets. And musical shows-!_ "That's close to our vacation home.."

"Wait- vacation home?" Natasha repeated, using her arms to forcibly burst the wishful fantasy bubble in order to concentrate. She was more trying to find out what had been said rather than what the reason was for being said. "You didn't know?" Azuza gave her an incredulous look, to which she only eyed him curiously, her head tilted ever so slightly in wonder. "Know what?"

"We also have a vacation home in Yatsugatake.."

"What do you mean 'also'..?" Natasha deadpanned, giving him an incredulous stare as she unconsciously started to play with Wataru's hair, said child humming happily in her lap as he hugged her torso to his. Yusuke eyed him in mild annoyance, but caught on enough to the conversation to answer, "Aah, he means that we have others.."

"That's a little.." Natasha started, then rolled her eyes, "Forget it, I just need to get used to all this close-family stuff."

"Then, this sounds like a good opportunity." Natasha turned up her head to see Masaomi, watching her with a pleased, inquisitive smile. "What do you say, Natasha-chan?"

"Can we please go..?" she asked softly, her eyebrows furrowing as she let the smallest hint of hope into her tone, "I've never been to shrine festival before.. It could be really fun.." "Please Onii-chan-! Please-!" Wataru begged brightly beside her, both technical children giving the eldest their most intense puppy-dog eyes. While Masaomi recovered from the sudden blindness, he lifted a hand to his temple, and offered the others a wry smile, "Then, we should let everyone know.. So anyone who can make it can go.."

Ukyo groaned, but it was all in good jest, "If that is your decision, then I suppose we must.." He held the frying pan delicately to his chest with a good-natured sigh, Kaname, who stood at his side, flinching a little at the sight of the object, before returning a winning smile to the group.

"Kaname."

The eldest turned his attention to the blonde, much to the latter's surprise. Kaname blinked, and Masaomi smiled, showing a tender gratitude in his expression. "Thank you."

"I'll call Louis and Chianti-!" Natasha practically bolted out of the couch for the stairwell, halting at the upper balcony before moving to lean over it, calling down to her surprised, and stunned brothers with a bright, beaming grin, "Chianti is Natsume, by the way.." And she ran for her room.

"What the hell was that about-.." Yusuke muttered, the flush on his face dying slightly, but not completely vanishing when the female had left the room. "Imouto looks so excited about it," Kaname murmured, a triumphant gleam in his eye, "I can't wait to see her in a yukata-"

 _CLANG-!_

Ukyo didn't even bother reprimanding the blonde after he'd lowered his weapon, merely sighing in agitation before stalking back to the kitchen.

Wataru flinched with a soft whine, rubbing the back of his own head in mirror to where Kana-nii had been hit. "Kana-nii.. _Daijoubu_..?" "I-.. I'm fine Wataru," the blonde muttered with a hiss, managing to throw him a shaky, but believable smile as he caressed the now twice-hit bump, on his head, "Is it just me or is everyone getting much more touchy around here.."

"You're a monk, stop being promiscuous," Azuza sighed, but there was no real conviction in his words, only annoyance as set the flier onto the table and moved to go to his room. "Tsubaki should be on his break soon, I'll call him about it.."

"I'll call Hikaru and Futo," Masaomi nodded, pulling the phone from his pocket and flipping it open, "Yusuke.. Would you mind calling Iori and Subaru?"

"Sure," the redhead muttered, pulling the phone from his pocket and moving to go to his own respective quarters, "Goodnight, Ma-nii."

"Goodnight," he called brightly, before flashing Wataru a smile, "Time to get ready for bed, Wataru-chan." "Aww~!" the eleven year old murmured, upset, before perking back up with a grin, "If I go to sleep now, will the festival come faster-?!"

"Mhmm," Masaomi nodded, shooing him off to his room. "Goodnight."

"Night-night, Ma-nii-!" the salmon haired boy chirped, before jogging to go to his room. Masaomi shook his head, bring the phone to his ear with a sigh. First, he would call Hikaru…

* * *

Natasha held up one large swath of silk in front of the mirror, before pulling out a similar one in size, but different in color, up for contrast.

"The purple would look better.."

The silverette paused her quest of creating the perfect kimono to glance at the blonde floating cross legged several inches above her bed. Arrow held his emerald orbs on her figure intently, but there was a streak of resignation in their depths that she knew was atonement. He'd not lied to her since their talk, and with any level of faith, it would stay that way. In recognition to his suggestion, she turned her head towards him, and gave a subtle nod.

The navy blue silk in her right hand disappeared, and the blazing purple amethyst to remain in her left. Setting out the large swath of cloth onto her bed, she sighed, shucking off her shirt and tossing it to her hamper. Straightening out her posture, she held her arms out parallel to the ground on either side of her as she pictured four under layers that would peek beneath the kimono. It took a few moments, but as she opened her eyes, and felt the silk against her skin, she tilted her head down, and practiced walking around the rug. They were almost perfectly light, and only swayed near her ankles as she walked in the front, a bit of the train dragging behind her in an almost regal fashion.

With a design in mind, she laid her palm onto the discarded purple silk, lifting it delicately into her hands before completely tossing it into the air above her head.

There was a shift in the air, and the fabric fluttered back into her hand, delicately sewn baby breath blue lotus flowers curled around the hem and up her side, vines of deep, royal purple snaking around them, entwined with shining white and silver strings. There was a sheen of what looked like a galaxy printed around the designs, as if it faded into the regular fabric like a supernova.

"Ooh.." Juli awed, blinking his big black eyes at the patterned silk, "It looks lovely, Chii.."

"Thank you, Juli," Natasha nodded, patting his head with a loving care, before sighing, "I'm just a little upset right now.. It's been a month and not everyone had been together long enough for me to talk about "The Issue".." "I'm sure it will work out," the squirrel chirped, running up her arm to perch on her shoulder, and giving her a gentle nuzzle to the cheek, his tail caressing her neck in reassurance, "I'm sure it'll be solved eventually.. For now you're just needlessly stressing yourself, so this trip might prove to be good for you."

"You always know best, don't you, Juli," Natasha giggled, pecking the top of his head gently before setting him on he bed and moving to go to her desk, giving the lone manila folder sitting there a beacon of promise. "Well," she sighed, moving to trace the edge of the envelope's corner, "This is the last manuscript, and the series is done.." "How many books were there..?" Arrow murmured dully, "I lost count after eight."

"It was a sixteen book series, seven hundred pages, each," Natasha nodded calmly, swallowing back a bit of unease, "I'm.. hoping to make a second season…"

"Relax, Chii," Juli ordered sternly, tugging at the kimono on the bed, "Focus on the good for now."

"Right," Natasha murmured, smiling vaguely once more before she turned to gaze out her window, "Focus on the good.."


	47. Chapter 10: part 2

The week passed quickly, and while it would have been a good idea to rewatch the episode she knew she was in, she brushed it off. She didn't need a heads up to cheat and if she was going to take the situation seriously she needed to do it on her own. The majority of the week was filled with last minute manga editorials and packing, but she'd just scraped by and finished the other day, and printing was yesterday. She'd been sent the final issue of her manga via direct delivery from her manager, a bossy man with incredibly attractive features, but she could swear was homosexual.

Pity.

Dragging out her thigh-high suitcase was a lot easier since she'd "managed" the weight of the things inside, the second to last manga opened in front of her face as she walked down the sidewalk toward the car, Yusuke was beside her, with the third manga in his hands, with the rest of the set she didn't have in his room. She wanted feedback, so she'd asked him what he thought of it, vaguely wording around that it was recommended to her.

Allowing Natsume to take her suitcase ( after a very intense moment of eye contact/war denying his butler-esque intent ) she turned to Hikaru, who stood in his casual male-wear, ie; khakis, a button-up and a loose scarf around his neck with his hair tied back. He offered her a saturnine smile, and she offered a playful one in return.

"I'm jealous," she admit, feigning a swoon as she held the back of her hand to her forehead, "Hikaru-nii truly is the perfect human to pull of both gender-rolled clothes.."

"Do I look that good," he chuckled, a hand on his hip as he watched her casually, he had many tricks up his sleeve for the ride, seeing as she would have nowhere to run for four hours.

"Better," Natasha chuckled, laughing softly to herself before perking her head up at the sound of a door behind her. She took a moment to turn her head back toward the house Yusuke and Hikaru following suit as Subaru stepped out, tugging along a large navy colored duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Huh?.. Isn't Kana-nii here..?" Ukyo glanced around quickly, and his eyebrows furrowed in slight annoyance, the same lecherous monk that had advertised the trip was nowhere to be found, and it was nearing their time to leave. Masaomi looked slightly surprised, but took a moment to address his question.

"Kaname had a lot to prepare for, so he went up there, yesterday."

"Hey Subaru-nii!" Natasha chirped, flagging down the raven with her arm and a face-splitting gin on her lips, "You made it just in time~!" Her shout ha caught the rest of the brother's attention, a fw of them sending light smile toward her , while Wataru started waving with her.

The raven sent her a small, hesitant smile to his sister, bowing his head in light apology as the elder two gave him a light, knowing smile. "Sorry for keeping you guys."

Masaomi offered him a curious tilt of the chin, "So how did it go?"

Subaru gave him a modest roll of his shoulders, looking up to give his older brothers a conflicted look, "I told them-" Natasha tuned out their little conversation, already knowing what it was about and seeing no need to eavesdrop. Instead she turned back to Hikaru, offering him a soft smile as she rolled her weight onto her hip, eyeing him with a similar level of suspicion as they stood in stalemate. He could quite possibly be the first male in the world who openly antagonized her.. Bao didn't count…

"You ready for the trip, Imouto~" Hikaru said the name as if he were playing a pretend game with a threeyearold, and the teen merely rolled her eyes, holding out a hand to pat his shoulder while the other pulled the book back out of her bag, "Sure, sure..."

"Oh?" he chuckled, offering her a painted smile before slinging an arm around her shoulder, eyeing the book in her hands with no lack of knowing mirth, "If you'd like, I can help you with your kimono." "That's okay, I'll be fine," she brushed off his arm, moving then to go over to Yusuke, who was sitting out of the general area with a slightly put-out look on his face, though there were undercurrents of pure irritation spread across the set of his jaw and the maroon of his eyes.

"It sucks that you're not coming," Natasha deadpanned, giving him a look that spoke volumes on the reason why. Yusuke sighed, giving her a slight smile as he shook his head, "I forgot I had the summer course for prep school.." "You didn't even need it up until a few months ago," Natasha grumbled, put out and clearly upset. If he'd just listened to her and accepted the damn tutoring..

"You're right."

The statement caught her immediately off guard, and the female dropped her brooding posture, giving him a look of disbelief. Yusuke had turned his head to glance toward the street, his words low enough for the others to ignore, but perfect for her to hear clearly. "I shouldn't have been stubborn and turned away your help, but there's nothing I can do about that now. The only thing I can do to improve my scores is to study.." He turned his eyes to her then, and she swallowed at the apologetic warmth in them, "Right now, entrance exams are more important than a vacation.. And I really want to go to the same college as you.." He lifted his hands then, placing them lightly on her shoulders and giving her a reassuring squeeze, "So, go have fun for me as well, yeah?"

"Yeah yeah," Natasha grumbled, her face flashing brightly as the weight of his apology sank in. she brushed off his hands with a pout, and he bit back a chuckle, watching as she folded her arms across her chest, and turned her head, away, "Just don't be a stubborn dolt next time I try to help.. My study guides are easy enough to follow.."

"Yeah, yeah," he mimicked her tone, ruffling her hair quickly and laughing aloud when she spluttered about personal space. She fixed her hair with a soft groan, and turned around at the sound of Natsume's voice, her posture almost immediately relaxing when his eyes caught hers, then flicked away casually, darting around the brothers.

"Who's riding with me?"

"Me," Azusa droned, shrugging his shoulders to relieve a minute tension as he strode toward Natsume's maroon colored car. Natsume nodded slightly in acquiescence, then turned to the others, "Anyone else..?"

Subaru completely ignored him, lugging his bag over his shoulder as he walked briskly to the opposite car. Natsume glanced toward Natasha, who was eyeing Subaru with exasperated disapproval, shaking her head slowly while Hikaru snuck up behind her. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off when she jumped a foot in the air with a yelp, sending the older male behind her a look of annoyance as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and started leading her toward Natsume's car. "Okay, Imouto~! You're over here~!"

"Aren't you a little too peppy," Natasha whined, giving him a weak glare as she tried to calm her racing heart. Natsume offered her an apologetic smile, and she managed to give him a slight nod in return.

She waved back to Yusuke a final time before Hikaru "escorted her" into the back seat, putting her in the seat behind the driver and keeping a firm hand on her shoulder, prepared for if she made a mad-dash toward the door.

The doors all shut with a clang, and she felt as if her death warrant was signed, her head falling slightly as she caught Hikaru's gleaming, 'innocent' eyes. Good-bye, sanity...

Ten minutes into the drive, Natasha was going insane, her book was tucked beneath her knee and pressed into the seat, her eyes narrowed out the window in contemplative silence. There was a miasma of tension, mostly awkward with a bit of annoyed, though the last bit came directly from her. The tense air keeping the two in the front from speaking at all.

Hikaru hummed then, and offered Natasha a dazzling smile, "What is it that you've been reading? It looks interesting.."

"Pip's Castle," Natasha send him a cool look, pleasant, but not overly thrilled as she pulled it out from beneath her worn skinny jeans and held the cover up for inspection. "A manga I picked up from the store."

"Ah- I've read that one," Azusa chirped from the front seat, and there seemed to be a silent, collective sigh that the air was cleared, "It's that Fantasy series, isn't it? The one about the girl and the warriors?"

"Yep, they just came out with the new book," Natasha stated with an air of calm, holding up the fourth to last book for inspection, "I have the last four in my bag, but Yusuke has the rest." "I'm up to number sixteen," Azusa smiled at her brightly, and Hikaru hummed in interest, plucking the outstretched book from her offered hand and inspected the cover, "This is very detailed, isn't it? The author put a lot of thought into it.."

"I suppose, but there are a lot of issues with it," Natasha shut down his inquiring tone swiftly, offering book number eighteen to Azusa with a slight smile, "Knock yourself out, I'm only on number twelve." "Thank you," Azusa nodded, flipping to the front as giving her a grateful smile.

"By the way," Hikaru mumbled to himself, then said, in a louder voice toward his sister, "Do you mind if I ask you something?" The look she shot him did everything but verbally shout, ' _Ooooh, so you're gonna ask_..'.. Natsume smothered a chuckle in the guise of a cough, keeping his face neutral as he focused on the road. He absently reached for his can of coffee, knowing he would need some sort of pick-me-up

"What is it..?" Natasha asked in a reluctantly polite tone. She already had an idea…

"This happened a while ago, but.." he tilted his head just to the side, as if confused, "You spent the night in Natsume's room and nothing happened?"

Coffee went flying as Natsume choked, spitting out what had gathered in his cheeks and nose as he struggled to breathe. Natasha tossed a silk purple handkerchief up at Azusa, who in turn handed it to Natsume, before turning a cool, deadpanned expression on the eldest in the car.

"Actually," she enunciated each word slowly and carefully, narrowing her eyes as a devious smirk played on her lips, "We made wild, passionate love for the majority of the night and some of the morning."

Another large spray of coughing, Azusa with a similar reaction as he choked on his own spit, his hand pounding against his chest. The car swerved slightly, before jerking back into a straight-shot in the lane, Natsume the first to break the sudden lack of words, as Hikaru was staring at her wide-eyed and stunned.

"Natasha- what in _God's name_ -"

"I was _trying_ to be funny," she cut him off swiftly, her tone betraying her need to laugh hysterically, she was already gripping her sides in a talon-like hold, "Hikaru nudged into my business so I booted him back out- did you see his face-? Jeez, I swear _none_ of you boys can take a joke.."

"You were joking," Azusa rasped to himself, though it sounded like he was clarifying it, before he sighed in relief, pressing his warm forehead against the cool glass of his window.

"Actually," Hikaru blinked away his surprise, smirking a little as he understood the jest of the previous answer, despite how well it was played, "There's one more thing.."

" _For the love of Bao_ -" the girl muttered under her breath, before shooting the fourth son a frown, "Alright, spit it out." she pulled one knee to rest over the other, tossing him a light frown, "Although I can't promise I won't be a smartass."

"Nothing happened between you and Azusa while he was hospitalized..?"

The car jerked to the edge of the lane when Azusa pitched himself over from shock, desperately grasping hold of the cups that had fallen in the scuffle. Natsume had cried out in shock, and Natasha heard several displeased drivers behind them bracing her arms on the seat and door to keep from being flung from her seat. The safety belt pulled sharply at her clothes, and she winced when she'd felt her teeth sink into her bottom lip, the tangy taste of copper flooding her tongue before she hurried to wipe it away.

"Wh-" Azusa practically leaned over the center console to glare at Hikaru, looking awfully antsy and practically radiating guilt, Natsume didn't even bother hiding his suspicion as he eyed him, though Natasha shot him a subtle shake of the head and he was appeased, all of it happening in a span of less than three seconds. "Why are you asking about that all of a sudden?"

"Does that bother you?" Hikaru asked in an inquiring tone, but Natasha caught the underlying hint of sadistic pleasure. Natasha physically rolled her eyes with a long, loud groan, "Seriously Karu'-kun.. You're going to get us all into an accident.."

"So, Azusa," Natsume rolled his shoulder casually, watching his brother from the corner of his eye, "How about it?"

" _CHIANTI_ -!" Natasha gasped, clearly scandalized and now blushing from head to toe, "What in the seven Hells are you implying?!" Natsume snorted a little, and lowered his eyes, a soft, rumbling laugh escaping his lips before he cleared his throat, erasing the evidence, and glancing toward his annoyed raven haired brother when he'd calmed down.

"Don't be ridiculous," Azusa directed his ire to the driver of the vehicle, "I was sick."

"Thank you," Natasha nodded firmly, shooting Natsume a glare through his rearview mirror, "Keep your eyes on the road, I'd rather not become a victim of vehicular demise." Then, under her breath, ".. _again_."

"Like you would even die," he muttered, rolling his eyes, though the brothers had caught it, they only looked confused, and slightly suspicious.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean..?" Hikaru asked curiously, looking between the female and the ginger with fresh interest, "Are you sure nothing happened?"

"I thought I relayed that we had wild passionate lovemaking until early hours," Natasha eyed Hikaru with a deadpanned expression, "So _no_ , nothing happened, nor did anything happen with Azusa." "Right, of course," Hikaru gave an almost playful sigh of disappointment, "but in Azusa's case.. There were nurses around, too.." Natasha felt a tingle at the back of her memory, and resisted the urge to smack her face into the window. _She just walked right into that.._

"Ahh-!" Hikaru exclaimed, as if the idea had just occurred to him, "but you might have found some privacy up on the roof, or something-!"

"Where in the hell do you come up with such cliche fantasies," Natasha turned a dull stare to the red head, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, "..Are you secretly using me for novel material..?"

"Whoops.." Hikaru gasped delicately, a hand flying up to his mouth in an almost mocking way, "Have I been found out..?"

 _Don't strangle him with his hair, don't strangle him with his hair..._

"Stick to the bars," Natasha muttered, lowering her anger to a manageable level and shooting the silently smirking Natsume a glare. "And you, Chianti," she slurred into the corresponding accent with a smooth flourish, "Watch that mouth of yours.. That smile can kill.."

"Good to know," he chuckled, and Natasha smirked to herself, reclining against her seat with a pleased sigh. At least she could still joke around with him..

"Oh, that reminds me-" Hikaru started again, but Natasha was quick to sit up, and cut him off, her tone low, and warning, "-so help me god if you cause an accident.."

Hikaru broke out laughing for a moment, running his knuckle beneath his eyes to catch a mock tear, "It's nothing like that.." to emphasize his point, he gestured to his shoulder, his eyebrows furrowing curiously as he turned t look at her directly, "Where is your little knight..? Isn't he always with you..?"

"He's staying with a friend," Natasha waved off the inquiry smoothly, knowing that more detail would be required for Hikaru to be satisfied, "His name is Arrow.. I've known him for a while-"

The car jerked, this time completely her fault, as Natsume took a firm grip of the wheel, and craned his neck, "Arrow- as in _Arrow_ -?!" "Yes, the very same," Natasha nodded slightly, rubbing the back of her neck as she closed her eyes, "Can we _please_ not get into an accident, I have track records with car accidents and I'd rather not have another.."

"Yeah…." Natsume faltered, shooting her an apologetic look before turning back to the road. "S-Sorry.." "Not your fault," she muttered, popping her neck before she settled into the seat, "But if you want to make it up to me, do you have any decent music..?" "Nothing you'd like, I'm sure.." he murmured, gesturing to the barrage of audiobooks in the console, "I don't have any of the first ones in here.." "Then allow me," Natasha popped up and over the center console, startling the two boys in front as she pulled a long black cord from her pocket, plugging it in swiftly before returning to her seat, and snapping the buckle back in place, "Who like's what?"

"Got any modern?" Hikaru tilted his head, and Natsume's snort was covered with a cough. "Only in America," Natasha flashed the male beside her a slight, bashful smile, "The majority of my music is in English, my apologies.."

"I wouldn't mind listening to some English music," Azusa spoke up suddenly, flashing her a slight smile, "I wouldn't mind hearing you sing again.."

"Oh.." Natasha murmured, and her face flushed slightly as she looked away, "Right the.. Wedding…" "Sing for us," Natsume cheered playfully, relaxing into his seat with a grin. Hikaru hummed in agreement, and Natasha felt the pressure from all three sides before she sighed, and gave them a brief smirk, shaking her head as she looked through her music. "Lets see what I have in _this_ language, first…"

For several hours, she entertained her brothers with renditions of anime openings, closings, Japanese versions of Disney songs, and any Japanese version of modern music she could find from America. She was winding down with one of her favorites, having assured the boys that it was in Japanese, but had some German in it. Natsume didn't even bat an eye, though Azusa and Hikaru looked curious.

That had to time it perfectly, or it would be a fail, so when she handed Azusa her phone, and steeled herself, he waited for her to give him the signal.

 _"Seid ihr das Essen? Nein, wir sind der Jäger-!"_

The boys were abruptly startled by the pure intensity of her voice, but the chorus and tones were spot on. She waved her arms in a sort of conductor's pattern as she continued, with a jerking quality that highlighted the pace of the song.

 _"Are name won't be remembered, if we died like trampled flowers, I refuse to be forgotten, written off as less than worthless. Scream and cry but none will hear you- plead and beg but none will help you- we'll no longer live as cattle-will you rise and join the battle~?!"_

Needless to say, it was a fun car ride.

Without Hikaru's near-death experiences, she may have even went on to believe it was a wonderful memory, beginning to end.

* * *

The moment Staff had entered the Heavenly Offices, he was assaulted with the sweet scent of sugar and fresh laundered air freshener... His long, waist-length navy hair was kept back in a braid, and his white and accented gold, six piece suit was spattered in vomit near the bottom towards his right shoe. A golden cross glinted around his neck, and a long, Ebonized Mahogany wood staff that stood at seven feet above his six-foot four.

He had reservations about ever accepting a mission in Misken, Arizona..

 _Ever again..._

Grimacing down at the only fabric they could not alter, the male took slow steps toward the front desk, past the wall that divided visitors and assignment filers, through the hallway to the left and toward his superior's office. Beneath his arm, a manila folder held a detailed report of one Esquealla Bortmann.. Drug-addict since eleven, prostitute mother, drug-dealer father.. No grandparents to speak of..

She had been on a particularly nasty batch of heroine when he'd swooped in, unceremoniously smacking the black-tar-like substance from her hand and calming her enraged, but not fearful screaming (He was sure she thought him a sort of hallucination) with a light smack across the cheek. He'd waved his arm over the table, and the once chipped, old oaken splinter nest was now brand-new, shiny, and clean.

Not a drug in sight.

Once her initial panic that her addiction was gone, and she'd spent about twelve minutes crawling around for her "emergency supplies" that he had also conveniently discarded into the Heavenly Office's evidence locker, he'd turned to her, gave her one, hard look, and sighed, folding his arms over his chest.

He spent two years with that particular human, living alongside her like a glorified flatmate to help her get her life on track. She'd relapsed several times, but he was always there to hold her hair back and talk it out.

Hence the vomit.

It wasn't even her's, it was a friends, who had come over.

Apparently just giving her a sort of responsibility for herself made everything snap in place.

He should have started with that.

Maybe got her a dog-

"Staff, you smell like shit," a deep, baritone voice, lined with obvious amusement called form his left, and he jerked his head in said direction, his twitching eye registering the fact that he had stopped in the middle of the hallway with a disgusted expression.

His eyes fell upon Dagger, the minx.

"Shuddap," he muttered, turning his golden-green eyes away from her sharp amethyst ones. "My assignment's finally over, i'd rather not the first voice I hear to be one of dying seals.."

"Liar~! You love my voice," she spoke with an audible purr, and the male rolled his eyes, moving to continue down the hallway. Clearly unhappy about being annoyed, the woman hopped off of the watering can she had been perched on to show the approaching male the tan expanse of her thighs.

Ignoring the cat-like, pixie-haired woman, Staff battled the urge to swing with his prized _Semper_ , knowing doing so could write him up, if not, suspend him. No matter id she wore tiny shorts that purposefully not cover much and only a strip of cloth to cover her chest, exposing her stomach, collar and arms. He shuddered, gritting his teeth as he kicked up the pace a tad.

"Oh C'mon~! _Staff_ ~!" she whined in a voice the temptress would often use, swaying her hips as she kept pace with him, though she had to take twice as many steps to keep up, being so short at four eleven. "Why don't we go on a date after you clock out tonight~? It's been for _ever_ since we went to have a drink.."

"Not nearly long enough," he sighed beneath his breath, shooting her a brief, defeated look, before stopping in front of the Commander's office. "I'm busy.." "One drink-!" she pounced, knowing she had won and immediately giving him her no-nonsense tone, "I'll even let you pick the place-"

"Never again am I going to _Tacky's_ ," he immediately bristled, hissing the name as if he were a displeased cat, "That woman is abominable.." "She thinks you're cute," Dagger grinned alluringly at her target, pleased that he did not find the flaunty, well-endowed bar owner appealing, "she wants to get into those pretty white-" she blanched them, stopping herself as she examined the mess of his pants. "Which Hell happened to you..?"

"Mission," he grumbled, irritation clouding his aura in waves as he knocked brusquely at the door. "I have no more words for you, leave me to do my job."

"So serious," the shorter female pouted, batting her eyelashes up at him briefly, before skipping away with a giggle. "See you after work~!"

"Damn she's persistent.."


	48. Chapter 10: part 3

Does the universe hate him..?

Did he _have_.. to get a new assignment the very _second_ he turned in his report..?

Apparently.

"Staff, please understand that this is non-negotiable," the Commander spoke in his gruff vice to the navy-haired male in front of his desk, looking worse for wear, tired, and his eyes being the only emotion shown, as they gave away how ready to throw a desk at him he was.. Navy wisps of black fell around his eyes, and the angel ave him a slight nod, the vomit on his pants and shoes looking all the more disgusting as time passed.

He needed a long, warm bath..

But first, he had to look over that damned mission and call Arrow.

Fuck it.

"I need a day to recuperate," the warriors voice was cool, and smooth, like a chilled scotch in the evening. "My last mission took a lot out of me.." "You will have an hour before I send you," the commander waved aside his suggestion with a narrow-eyed look, "This a war, Staff, we can't waste time with this girl."

"Understood," the raven nodded, bowing deeply to his superior until he was dismissed.

"And Staff-" he turned, halfway out the door, to see his commander giving him a wry smile, "Try not to push her too hard.. She's still originally human.."

"Understood."

He left, and immediately made a beeline for his apartment in uptown _Serenity._

 _He needed a bath, a scotch, and a god-damn bowl of caramels.._

* * *

By the time they'd reached the cabin in Yatsugatake, Natasha was slightly tired, emotionally, but physically buzzing in excitement. The festival was in a matter of hours, and there was nothing she wanted to do more than get dressed and prance around in a kimono. As weird as that sounded…

"Yay~!" Wataru began running from room to room in the large house, already being decided that two boys to each room and Natasha would have her own- (though the fight Wataru put up to sleep in a room with his big sister was admirable before he was placated.). Setting her suitcase beside her bed, she quickly pulled out the kimono, and used a bit of _Creation_ to smooth the creases, letting it flutter in the air before landing on the bed, neatly and flat. She could hear the brothers talking outside the door about getting dressed, and in the further distance, Wataru asking Subaru to help him get ready. Natasha giggled to herself, before examining the swath of fabrics, frowning slightly when she wondered how she was going to get dressed all on her own when she'd had Arrow-

...She was an idiot…

Bringing her right hand up to her face, Natasha sighed, and cleared her throat, double-checking that her door was locked before speaking into the magenta stone ring curled around her ring finger.

"Jax, if you have a moment, could you please help me with something..?"

The result was almost instantaneous, the sudden body kneeling at her feet causing the female to yelp, and fall back onto her bed, hands covering her mouth to hide the rest of her shriek from her family.

"My lady," Jax nodded reverently, lifting his eyes up to see his mistress perched on the bed, knees pulled up defensively to her chest as she eyed him with exasperated shock. "Please don't just suddenly appear like that again.. Give a girl a warning.." "Of course," he lowered his hand from his chest, and rose to his feet when she'd gestured for him to do so, he'd spent nearly thirty minutes doing so in a previous meeting when she'd refused to do so, having demanded he 'grew a backbone' and stood up around her. Needless to say, she lost that argument pretty quickly.

"I need help getting dressed," she nodded her head toward the bed, where her kimono layers were sprawled out, a few strewn and wrinkled from her sudden jump. "I'd be happy to help," Jax grinned at her brightly, but her startled look struck him silent, her hand jutting sharply at her neck as voices drifted from the hallway. "Be quiet," she warned softly, standing to give him a quick hug before moving to grab the first layer, "My brothers will be able to hear us talk.. They're getting accustomed to holy energy.. They might be able to see, or even hear you, if we aren't careful.."

"Understood," he murmured with a reverent nod, moving to pull the ties from her fumbling hands, swiftly knotting it before gesturing for the others, "May I..?"

"Of course," she mimicked his earlier tone, shooting him a smile as she held out her arms obediently, letting him layer on each roll of silk until it was the final, last kimono, and he pulled out the navy blue and silver patterned obi.

"You look elegant," he murmured quietly as he tightened it a final time, stepping back just long enough to grasp the bag of cosmetics she'd lied out, arranging them delicately along the desk as she sat properly in the desk chair. "Please allow me to assist you in preparing."

"You've done this before," she murmured, the statement mindful of the people in the rooms around them. "Yes, I have," he agreed smoothly, running a fine toothed comb through her long white hair, it reached mid-back now.. She'd need to cut it.. "My master has often enlisted me in helping guests prepare for celebrations when they would reside in the palace for a trip.."

"So you're experienced with hair and makeup," Natasha murmured idly, almost sighing in pleasure as he twisted the long, snowy locks into a neat, orderly bun atop the back of her head. He pinned it in place with a decorative hair comb, deep purple Lisianthuses, contrasting sharply with her bright white hair.

It took him ten minutes to apply light foundation, silvery lavender eyeshadow, a bit of eyeliner and a pale pink lipstick the color of sakura petals. He made sure her eyes popped and that she looked every bit like the royalty his Master wished she would accept. Setting the make-up aside, he unwound two locks of hair from the bun, pulling one slightly over from the left side of her forehead so it framed the right side of her face, the other piece framing the left side and both tips brushing her collar-bone atop the silken kimono.

"Would you like a _wagasa_ to accompany your kimono?" he asked pleasantly when he had touched up the eye shadow with his thumb, and stepped back to admire his work. She would have to go to a bathroom to see herself, as there was not a mirror in that room. "I can also tie a fan to ribbon at your hip, if you would like..

"That would be wonderful, thank-you Jax," Natasha chuckled a little at his awed, giddy expression, and accepted his arm to stand. He'd helped her into the traditional split socks and a pair of black geta shoes were resting atop the desk. Keeping with tradition, an orchid purple _wagasa_ appeared in Jax's left hand, closed as not to bring bad luck to an individual, while a fan of silver and lavender dragons across a baby's breath, blue background appeared in his right. A long, wine purple ribbon was attached to the hilt, and he deftly tucked the end into the obi around her waist, and handed over the _wagasa_ as one would a sword to knight.

"You look stunning, my lady.." he murmured, taking a knee with a hand to his heart as he gave her an adored expression, "I shall have to relay to Master the unfortunate luck to miss such a sight." "You are so sweety formal I almost want to gag," Natasha giggled, patting his head so he would rise and bowing her head, "I should be going, thank you, once more, Jax.."

"My Lady," his voice murmured, and he was gone again. Natasha took a deep, calming breath, before pulling the _wagasa_ out in front of her, pointing it toward the ground with her back straight and her head high. She swallowed thickly, and started to move toward the door. She hesitated, before turning the handle, and pulling it open. She glanced out the door, down each way of the hall, before tiptoeing out onto the carpet. Her geisha was hanging from her fingers the straps and she was gliding her way silently toward the living room with a nervous aura of anticipation.

Just as she slid all the way inside, she could see the bright yellow kimono of Wataru as he swung his legs at the dining table, clearly impatient as he propped his chin in both hands. The kimono was dotted with light pink bunnies, with a matching pink obi.

Subaru was sitting across from him in his light grey kimono, fiddling with his emails as he waited, his head propped into only one hand. Ukyo was sipping tea at the table, but he wasn't dressed to leave, so he would most likely stay to avoid such an 'obscene festival'..

Natasha cleared her throat, and all three sets of eyes turned toward the door in surprise, though Ukyo's cup came down slightly harder than he intended, and Subaru's phone lowered slowly to the table as the brother's eyes widely appraised her form.

"Woah.." Wataru whispered, blinking his big eyes in awe as his mouth hung open, the other two with similar degrees of stunned shock, "Onee-chan looks like a princess.."

Natasha lowered her head in greeting, giving a low, neat bow, before raising back up to her full, five-two height. She smiled at them serenely, before giving them a happy twirl, her kimono's fluttering almost elegantly as she pulled to a gentle stop to face them once more, her expression relaxed and relieved, "This is the second time I've worn a kimono.. The first was for the eighth birthday of a friend…"

She smoothly walked over to the table, and bent to place a sweet kiss on Wataru's temple, grinning at him when he flushed in joy, "And thank-you, Taru-chan.. I appreciate the compliment.."

"You look.." Subaru tried, fumbling over his sentence as he eyed the set of her shoulders and the sweep of her hair, "..great..?"

She snorted slightly, giving him a beaming smile as she nodded her head, "You look amazing as well, Nii-chan.." "Onee-chan- Onee-chan-!" Wataru was suddenly as energized as the bunny that resembled his attire as he hopped to his feet, sandals clattering against the wood of the floor as he grasped her hand tightly, bouncing in place, "Will you spend lots of time with me at the festival-?! I can be your Prince for the night-!"

"I'd love that Wataru," Natasha giggled, bowing when he'd given her his own formal greeting, and accepting his arm as he paraded her around the table, both of them giggling along the way. The two older male's watched them in silence as they moved, staying quiet as if even breathing too loud could shatter the picture. "Wataru, My Prince~!"

They laughed together in joy, the sound of a choked breath coming from the door as several more brothers entered. Natasha tuned slightly to face them, appraising her eyes over Hikaru, Azusa, Masaomi and Natsume with a sweet smile. Their kimonos were respectively brown, blue, navy and green.

"Good evening," she greeted politely, dipping her head in reverence before fixing her back and shoulders once more. "You all look wonderful.. "

"Whoa.." Natsume and Azusa chorused unintentionally, wide violet orbs blinking at the mere commanding _presence_ in the room.. Hikaru let out an appreciative whistle, looking her up and down almost critically before tilting his head, "How long have you hidden _this_ from us, Imouto..?"

"I saw no reason to wear it," she shrugged, moving to take Wataru's impatient hands into her own, smoothing them over with the tips of her fingers as her soothing energy calmed him slightly, "For tonight, however, I am accompanying Prince Wataru to the festival."

"Well you definitely exude royalty," Masaomi breathed, rubbing at his eyes once, as if the fix the scene, before letting out a hearty chuckle, "Well, I suppose we're all ready.. Shall we go..?"

* * *

After severing the communication line between the clear crystal ring on his hand, Staff swung his fist into the wall of his apartment, purposefully leaving it weak enough not to damage the dull green paint. Pictures scattered around the wall were jarred with the force, but remained hung, the lamp nearby giving only a faint shudder before returning to its immobile state.

He'd burned the last suit he'd worn in holy fire, the bright green and yellow flames of his soul discarding it into mere golden ash. Which he promptly threw in the rubbish bin.

Grabbing his staff from its place near the door, he pulled a feather from his back, warming it a moment in his fest before letting it flutter to the ground of his livingroom. A ring of white, opal-colored mist pooled into his floor in a meter-sized hole. Without hesitation, hopping into the circle and disappearing int a tunnel of opal and shimmering, oil-like rainbows.

The ring in the carpet disappeared the moment he was gone, and a similar one appeared on the wall of a mountainside villa.

Staff dusted off his coat where the mist had clung, and waved his hand to dismiss the portal, turning his eyes to a nearby doorway before slipping into a branch in the tree above him. He perched on the limb with ease, one leg pulled up to his chest and the other hanging limply down. He wrapped an arm around the bent leg, and held his staff in the other, watching and listing to the laughter of humans and one mixed breed woman as they exit the house, he presence masked expertly as they moved to get into two cars parked near the driveway.

Once they were all tucked away in the vehicles, he hopped out of his perch, unfurling his wings and landing lifting into the air to follow. He took off like a bullet, landing on top of the first car with a weightless click. He briefly heard the hybrid stir, confused, before settling down. He rolled his eyes, perching down on top of the car, and pressing his ear to the metal roof,his staff at his side, unmoving and reliable as he tuned into the conversation.

"-s not even a question whether or not you look good, you look adorable-! I'd be surprised if a girl didn't hit on you at the festival, Suba-nii-!"

A woman's voice drifted to his ears, and he relaxed. She didn't sound distressed, or jaded, so there was that small mercy.

Now just to keep her away from Limbo..

Ugh..


	49. Chapter 10: part 4

They all piled into the cars again, though Natasha had been pulled into the car Wataru, Subaru and Masaomi were in, Ukyo staying home after wishing them well, (and subtly warning her to be extra cautious) and sending them off with a wave.

When they'd arrived at the many steps to the shrine gates, Wataru raced ahead with an elated shout, his arms held out like an airplane as he clattered up the stone, "Come on-! Come on-!"

"We're coming, your highness-!" Natasha called up brightly, taking her time to scale the steps with even strides, the train of her kimonos slipping behind her in a smooth swath of silk.

She and the boys made it to the festival gates and Wataru at the top of the stairs with little difficulty, the only incident being when Hikaru had asked about Ukyo being missing. Masaomi explained that he'd rather not participate in such an obscene activity and that he'd rather stay home and clean, and Natasha burst out laughing, nearly tripping over her geta and into Natsume, who clutched at her waist to keep the girl from tumbling down the stairs as she roared with laughter.

The image of Ukyo as a housewife in a frilly pink apron did not escape her thoughts; being provided by the sealed presence in her mind. The presence that now could adapt to her seals so they were _constantly fucking improving…_

"Easy there.." Natsume muttered, helping her back upright before giving her a pointed look, "You could have broken your neck.." she rolled her eyes, still shivering with giggles, and gave a half-hearted apology, though he kept a tight hold on her hand, since she'd wound an arm around one of his as support as they walked up the rest of the way. The others eyed them from around their huddle, but made no move to counteract the actions.

She could feel Hikaru's 'look' blazing into her temple but she choose to ignore it..

When they reached the top platform, they paused to gather their bearings, and Natasha reluctantly released Natsume's arm, though he squeezed her hand briefly in what she assumed was reassurance, before letting them drop to their respective sides. Masaomi, being the eldest, was the first to state his plans. "I'm going to go say hello to Kaname's superior," he addressed the group, then turned a bit toward Natasha, "so everyone's on their own from here on out.."

"I'll make sure Wataru and myself do not get lured into alleys with promises of sweets," Natasha raised her arm with a hand over her heart, a solemn look on her face, until a hand pinched her side, and she yelped, shooting Natsume a put-out pout/glare, "Hey- You ruined the mood-!"

"Please don't joke about getting kidnapped.." he deadpanned.

"Oh don't worry," she sent him a sweet smile, the dark, malicious aura that curled around her person as suddenly as a strike of lightning sending shivers down the elder brothers' spines, "If someone so much as _looks_ at Wataru in a negative way, I will have their most desired limbs strung from very high tree branches.."

"You seem very protective of Wataru," Hikaru hummed, almost smug as the chill died down and he locked eyes with his sister, only to get her full attention, and a purely honest nod of confirmation. "Of course. I love Wataru, therefore, he is under my responsibility to protect.. I don't give empty threats.. I say only what I know I can and will provide without hindrance or fail. Anything less is pathetic and I refuse to sink low enough to exaggerate or bluff."

"..."

There was a sudden, collective quiet among the brothers, before Natsume let out a loud, long groan, and passed Natasha, ruffling her hair as she passed and earning a hiss of annoyance as she struggled to fix the clip he'd mussed, "Remind me not to annoy you.."

"Don't worry Natsu-nii-chan," Natasha grinned, flashing him an almost feral smirk as she skipped around his walking figure, halting him in his tracks as she eyed him with a smug glare, "I love you just as much as I love Wataru-chan.. So you are included on that list.."

Seemingly too giddy to stand still any longer, Wataru skipped over to his sister's side, and grasped her hand from beneath her long, wide sleeves, "I wanna go to the festival with Onee-chan-!"

"Is that alright with you..?" Masaomi asked hesitantly, furrowing his brown in concern as he met the younger woman's eyes, "This _is_ your first festival, right? I don't want to just pin you with babysitting duty.." Natasha perked up from cooing over Wataru's adorable-ness to fix him with a look that outright expressed her confusion. That wasn't the line, was it..? .. _Hnn.. Oh well_ …

"I'd love to join Wataru for the festival," Natasha flashed the eldest a sweet grin, white teeth almost shining as she bent slightly to cuddle into Wataru's hair, "I mean _c'mon_ ~ who could resist those puppy-dog eyes~?" "Yay~!" Wataru cheered, giggling as he threw his arms around his sister's neck, "I get to go to the festival with Hime-sama~!"

"Hime..?" Natasha repeated, slowly, as she blinked down at the bunny-wearing child. Wataru nodded quick and fast as he looked slightly up at her, due to her slightly bent height, "Uh-huh-! Uh-huh-! 'Cause Onee-chan looks just like a princess-!"

"More like an angel-" Natsume chuckled, only to grunt at the sharp, but blunt blow that struck his side, giving a suspicious look down at the silver haired female who had raised her eyebrows at him, startled, four feet away.

"You okay, Natsume?" Hikaru asked slowly, flicking his eyes from the unmoving female eyeing Natsume's torso, or the general area, with furrowed, narrowed eyes. "I'm fine.." the ginger mutter, rubbing his stinging side once and trying to convey his thoughts to female..

 _Dear god.. What just happened..?_

Natasha opened her mouth to say something, then quickly shut it, shooting him a deadpanned look before she was pulled, quite insistently, by a pouting Wataru toward the entrance.

"C'mon Hime-chan~! Hurry-! Hurry-!"

"I'm coming, Taru', relax~!" Natasha sang brightly, breaking off into an uneasy giggle as she sent Natsume a stern look, eyes narrowing ever so slightly a the space beside his hip before she was brought to the present and sent a bright, beaming smile to the remaining of the boys, "We'll meet up with you all later~! Be safe, please~!"

"We will-!" Masaomi called back as they rounded a beam, and disappeared from view. It was silent for a few seconds, before Hikaru sighed, shaking his head slowly, "It looks like the thirteenth son is the most aggressive.." All four pairs of eyes immediately snapped to him, holding annoyance and trepidation. Masaomi hesitated, shook his head, and turned on his heel, his geta clopping on the stone as he headed for the main temple.

"Jeez.."

* * *

The ride to the human temple went relatively long, considering he was unable to do anything other than eavesdrop and avoid bringing attention to himself. When they had finally made it to the steps, he was charmed and invisible to everyone and anything, he would be surprised if even Arrow could fin him, at this point. Keeping close enough to watch his new ward and eye the many human males with mild distrust, he listened in on their words, once more, his expression neutral.

"So why didn't Kyo-nii come, again?" The long, red haired male asked an elder, ash-blonde one curiously.

The taller male glanced to him with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck in mild embarrassment, "Ukyo said that he didn't want to attend such an obscene festival.. He told me he'd stay back at the house and clean.." there was a moment of quiet, several of the males humming in acknowledgement before the lone female burst out laughing, her shoes missing a step as she tilted backwards on the steps. _Fuck-_ Staff darted forward to several steps below her, only mildly surprised when the orange-haired human had caught the girl-mid-fall, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist and pulling her flush into his chest as she collapsed against him in a fit of laughter.

"Easy there.." the male murmured gently, his eyes trailing over her form, in search of injuries, soft and caring as he watched her giggle.

The other male's didn't seemed overly surprised by her sudden laughter, so he deduced it was a regular occurrence.

His eye twitched.

He hated this mission already...

Several counts passed when they had met at the top, but when the annoying, orange-haired male had muttered under his breath, he'd been legitimately shocked. Enough so that his elbow accidentally found the boy's ribs before he'd darted away, out of the sensing rage of the woman, since his brief loss in composure made it fluctuate. He watched his wards eyes dart around the area, and he could feel her spread her essence around, searching for him, before retracting as she relaxed, sharing a look with the ginger haired male as words echoed in his mind, as if they were spoken aloud, though it was clear who they were directed at.

 _What just happened..?_

* * *

"Wataru-chan~!" Natasha giggled, eyeing the child's first cone of shaved ice, the flavor being cherry, as he licked at it happily, "How about we play a few games, ne?"

"Ooh~!" Wataru's eyes lit up like Christmas, and Natasha had to suppress the urge to nuzzle his face an inch his cheeks. She nodded quickly, darting her eyes around the vast numbers of stalls before lighting up at a ring tossing game. She turned her head down to Wataru, wiggling her eyebrows as she pulled out her purple silk money pouch, tossing it up and down playfully as she grinned, "What say you, Wataru, shall we win a bunch of stuffies for the boys..?"

"Yay~!" he cheered, rushing to hug her with one arm splayed out to avoid dousing her in red slush, "Let's hurry so the line doesn't get too long-!" Natasha giggled softly, shaking her head as he took her hand and practically sped toward the booth. It was empty, and when she'd gotten there, she knew why.

 _The damn thing was rigged.._

"Can I try, Onee-chan~!" Wataru bounced in place happily, ignorant of the suave smile that the booth owner was eyeing him with. It was too oily smooth for Natasha's liking. He seemed to have noticed her second, seeing as he was looking out for the children that would beg their parents to play, drawn in by the six foot tall fluffies and unable to make the five necessary rings for the only level of prize, save for the tiny little puppets he'd hand out for the extremely lucky ones..

When he _had_ taken notice of the woman the salmon haired child ( _he internally questioned who let their kid dye their hair at such as age- then again his cousin's was neon purple so_ -) had brought over, his eyes traveling up the arm of a quite obviously expensive kimono, trailing past the delicate designs, to see alabaster skin, smooth and littered with soft freckles across her nose and cheeks, and a small, heart shaped face. She bore no beauty marks, but her eyes were ringed lightly in coal, a small, pouty mouth the color of rose buds pressed gently into a soft line. Her eyes were big, golden things that seemed to shine in the light of all the lanterns, and the lamps surrounding the entire festival seemed to give off an ethereal glow to the woman.

The man swallowed quickly, straightening out his posture automatically and placing his most suave, polite smile on his face as he eyed the clearly well off woman. The child ( _he was starting to question if it was even a boy_ ), started to examine the prizes with severe intent, all the while babbling to the dainty, postured woman at his side. She looked damn right regal..

"What can I do for you miss..?" he asked brightly, his voice cracking only once on the word 'do' before he silently cleared his throat and shot her a bright smile. He was by no means an idol, but he did have his looks going for him. She seemed to ignore him for a moment, her eyes staring at the sign on the wall in blue painted kanji.

 _Small- One ring_

 _Large- Five rings_

"How many of the big animals should we get, Wataru?" the girl spoke suddenly, and he caught his breath in his throat. Her voice was smooth, and gentle, with undercurrents of authority and something more.. Pure… beneath it…

It took him a few seconds to process what she had said before he could blink enough to see the Salmon haired child looking each large stuffy ( _clearly bigger than him_ -) hanging from the rafters around the booth, leaving the floorspace and front open for the participants to toss rings into the fifty or so beer bottles spaced out deliberately along the bench near the center back of the booth.

"Hmmm," the little boy furrowed his brow, and pointed to several of the animals, "How about.. The bunny for Masa-nii.. The bear for Azu-nii… The monkey for Kana-nii.." His eyes lit up brightly, and the vendor shivered slightly when both the woman and the child seemed to grin mischievously at the stuffy hanging up in the order, "-the shark for Ukyo-nii.." (- _how many siblings does this brat have-_ ) "-the fox for Hikaru-nii.. The raccoon for Suba-nii.. And the kitty for Natsu-nii-!"

"Sounds great," Natasha sent the child a bright smile, leaning down to ruffle his hair and place a gentle peck on his forehead before tilting her head, "Would you like to throw the rings..?"

"Aah-!" the vendor seemed to snap to his senses when the young fairy ( _she hardly looked human- there was something ethereal about her-_ ) stepped forward with a coin purse, her eyes on the lack of prices listed. "This is a.. _Very_ difficult game.." (- _something told him not to push it with her, there was something dark and something bright there_ -) "-maybe I should bring the bottles forw-"

"You will do no such thing."

The woman's blunt, blatant disregard of his anxiety sent him pausing, closing his gaping mouth as he eyed her with confusion. "That would hardly be fair, to any of the past or future patrons of this booth, I cannot ask you to cheat, for whatever reason you may seem to think is wise.." _She wanted the small, tiny boy to win.. Seven.. Giant plushies- (that are still bigger than both of them-) by ringing Thirty five consecutive rings onto tiny-ass beer bottles.._

 _Was she nuts..?_

The look in her eyes told him she was dead serious, and he had to blink slowly to keep from leaning against the wall of the booth from a head rush of adrenaline and slight fear. She just gave him a smile..

If she's crazy with _those_ looks..

Well..

"Sure.." he murmured, unsure as to why she was focusing so intently on the bottles, before sending him a sweet, innocent smile, his ears flushing slightly when she held up her purse with a soft bat of her eyelashes, "I don't seem to see a price.. What is the amount needed for thirty-five rings..?"

"Uhm.." he hesitated, before giving her a small, hesitant smile, "3500 yen, miss.." ( _it was normally 4000 but when she locked her eyes on his-_ ) "100 yen per ring.."

She set out the money with ease, and he counted it with a furtive eye before tucking it away, counting out each and every ring with extreme care before placing them in a small wooden flat box, and sliding it onto the counter in front of the kid.

The kid was practically vibrating in place as he grasped a few of the rings, taking them in his hands and moving to pull it back to-

"Wataru."

The clear voice of the woman halted the kid like a bell, freezing him over for a half second before he turned to her expectantly, tilting his head in an almost cute manner. "Hai, Onee-chan..?"

 _(So not only did he have a full litter of brothers he had a stunning little china doll for a sister-)_

"Hand me those rings, please?" she asked sweetly, and the vendor flinched, biting his lips as the child eagerly handed her the projectiles in his hands, and she brought them up to her lips, closing her eyes as she pressed a feathered kiss to each of the four rings, and held them back out to him with a blissful smile. "Here you go.. A bit of luck never hurt, right?" she pulled out a large recording camera, fitting it around her hand as she waited.

"Thank you, Onee-chan-!" the child chirped, carefully inspecting the small, red plastic rings, before turning to look at the bottles and pulling his arm back.

The vendor took a good step back when the kid had hurtled the ring, having to dart sharply toward the wall as it flew past him, where his shoulder had been, knocking into a rafter beam, ( _the aim was so off he wanted to laugh but then again that girl was there_ -) and plinking onto one of the bottles, his lips twitched as it clinked against one lip, then another, bouncing its way along the line with a soft clink every time, before it reached the end of the line.

 _CLINK-!_

His jaw fell slack as he stared at the ring hanging around the neck of the far left bottle. He blinked slowly, turning and finding the thought to realize the kid was cheering in excitement, bouncing around the fairy-like woman with a grin that could split his face. He blinked slowly, watching as a few passersby seemed drawn to the attention, and peaked over curiously, a few taking note of the large number of rings on the counter, and the cheering child.

The woman stilled the child after a minute or so of his excitement, instead moving up to the small box of rings and pulling them into her arm, lifting several more rings and pressing soft, chaste kisses to the plastic and setting them out on the counter.

 _CLINK-!_

 _CLICK-!_

 _CLINK-!_

The vendors shoulders dropped lower and lower as several rings flew through the booth, no where near any of the bottles, before ricocheting off of the walls, the beams, the prizes, one even bouncing off of his shoulder to align onto a bottle.

The crowd seemed to grow exponentially around the attraction, some people holding their breath in awe while others cheered loudly for the spectacle the child was performing. A few younger males had commented on the way the fairy-woman was kissing the rings for luck, and pleaded suavely for her to do the same for them, only to receive a distraught expression from said woman, and a low, apologetic bow.

"My sincerest apologies.. But my services are reserved only for my brother, tonight.."

There seemed to be light and glitter surrounding the woman as she turned a soft expression to the crowd, a large number of people either grouping together to blush and admire her while others merely stared in awe at the petals that seemed to envelope her aura. If he squinted his eyes enough, he could swear he could see roses surrounding her.

CLINK-CLINK-CLINK-CLINK-!

He would have forgotten about the child tossing the rings (- _despite spending the better part of four minutes dodging the projectiles_ -) had the crowd not became instantly silent, staring at the booth with disbelief.

He turned his head slowly, as if on a rusted axle, and stiffly walked over to the bottles, lifting each one off of the shelf before placing it on the front counter in front of the couch. _Two, four, six.. Eighteen, twenty, twenty-two.. Thirty.. thirty-two.. Thirty-four.._

 _Thirty five…_

The uproar was instantaneous, and the fairy sent him a slow, smug smile, filled with a strange level of knowing and expectation.

"Wataru," the girl turned a sweet smile to the gaping boy, jarring him out of his revere as the crowd applauded his amazing feet, "I believe that is _seven_ prizes.. Pick what you would like, yeah?"

In the end, she'd apparently recruited a few festival attendees to bring the giant stuffies to a house near the mountain, giving them the address and a certain time to deliver them, before returning to following the small bundle of joy as he started to run around her in circles around a giant pink bunny with white ears, face and tail, with a big, stitched red heart on it's chest in a shiny material. "Masa-nii will love it-! Won't he, Onee-chan-?!"

"Of course he will," the woman smiled, patting his hair as she loaded it with ease onto her back, the slight tilt to her posture not taking away from her regal aura, "Shall we go the next game..? You're out of ice, too.."

"Yay~!"

The two were gone in less than ten minutes, and the vendor was left staring after the two as they exit the crowd as if the sea were parted by Moses himself. The rest of the crowd stared in awe for a while, before a number of them rushed to follow, urging their companions to do so as well, to witness the "trick-shot kid and the princess doll" play more games.

He stared dumbly down at the meager 3500 yen, stuffing it in his box.

* * *

Nene wasn't particularly surprised to find the little dimension hopper in _Fratres Certamen_ , in fact, she was expecting it. She recalled the changes that have already happened, small things with little consequence, at least so far. First and foremost being 'Ema' getting turned into a short little slip of a punk with a fiery disposition and a backbone to cut steel. To say she was pleased was an understatement. The boys, she observed from a safe distance - _no way did she want to be zapped by those sutras_ \- were being properly disciplined by the silverette's silver tongue.

Nene chuckled, brushing the pitch black bangs from her eyes and leaning against the beam of a stall. She was enjoying the show that the girl was putting on, thankful for the fresh reprieve on the usually droning existence that is wrought with immortality. She was becoming bored of being on the side-lines.. She needed to pick a side and get with the program already.. Perhaps getting assigned a charge or leading a regime could bring her out of her two and a half century funk. Now the question was, heaven or hell?

she glanced around the backstage area of the shrine festival aesthetic stage, her eyes landing on the willowy form of Asakura Futo in the corner, surrounded by half a dozen or so stylists as they tweaked his hair, his clothes, and his vocal coach guided him through his warm-ups. She smirked to herself, a slight upturn of her right lip, and she ducked beneath the watchful eyes of her 'manager'. Really, simple illusions were much too child's-play for someone with millenniums of experience beneath her belt.

Soon, she resisted the urge to give a low, predatory chuckle to scare the young-looking stagehands darting around her on caffeine-based fuel. _Soon she would get that girl's attention, and she would be apart of the game, again.._

.

.

.


	50. Chapter 10: part 4 and a half

**This is a filler chapter. It doesn't have much effect on the storyline, but I received a request to insert a personal character, so this one is for her.**

 **Shout out to misa241098-!**

 **Enjoy my little half-chapter. ;)**

* * *

" _I always needed time on my own.. I never thought I'd.. need you there when I cry..."_

There was music, as they passed the concert after Wataru had come back..

" _And the days feel like years, when I'm alone.."_

Music that shouldn't have been there..

" _And the bed where you lie.. Is made up on your side..."_

Natasha held her little brother's hand tightly, staring at the throngs of people and the large, vibrating speakers. Wataru looked up at her curiously, his eyebrows furrowed at the unfamiliar language.

 _"When you walk away, I count the steps that you take-"_

Natasha was guiding Wataru through the crowd without a second thought.

Avril Lavigne didn't exist in this world..

She'd searched countless websites and music productions.. but there was no Avril Lavigne..

There were a lot of things that existed in her world but didn't, here..

 _"Do you see how much I need you, right now-?!"_

Natasha was holding Wataru in her arms now, the rabbit ears of the giant stuffy slapping the side of her face as she finally broke into an open clearing just in front of the stage, about eight rows out. She let Wataru down to stand on his own, the little boy trying to ask his sister hat was wrong above the music. Seeing her intense focus, however, gave him pause, and he merely cuddled into her unresponsive side, closing his eyes as the beat rumbled through the ground below them and cut through the air in a bittersweet melody...

 _"When you're go-one-! The pieces of my heart are missing you-!_

 _When you're go-one-! the face I came to know, is missing, too-!_

 _When you're gone-! The words. I need. To hear._

 _To always get me through the day.._

 _An make it okay.. I miss you..."_

Natasha stared blankly at the familiar face in front o her.. trying to pin where she'd seen her..

Her last life.. This woman was never involved with her- she would remember that overwhelming _energy_.. But then again...

The black cardigan, small, shining white threads sewn into roses for the design.. Sleek, dragon-patterned tights, embossed to shine when the light hit them at the right angle.. Thin rimmed glasses and glossy black hair..

the glasses prevented her from seeing the color but..

She had a gut-feeling that they were amber..

"Maisha..?" she murmured, eyebrows furrowing slowly as she wound an arm around Wataru almost instinctively, her fingers trailing through his salmon toned hair as she listened to the English lyrics. Despite being a foreign language, the majority of the crowd was swaying or humming along to the melody.

 _Avril Lavigne doesn't exist here.._

the sound came to a close, and the crowd burst in applause, Natasha following through almost robotically as she stared at the illuminated woman onstage. Wataru was clapping up a storm, so it was him who brought her back to earth to recognize another song..

 _"You're the light, you're the night- you're the color of my blood.."_

Her voice was sweet, with just enough rasp to show that she was older..

Had she not had the exact same energy as the Maisha from her school, Natasha almost wouldn't have recognized her.

What she wanted to know was-

 _How the hell did she get her hands on an Ellie Goulding song when she doesn't exist-?!_

 _"_ _You're the cure, you're the pain.. You're the only thing I wanna touch..."_

Natasha had immediately covered Wataru's ears, her face flaming as she stared at the stage, oblivious to her brother's whining complaints and adorable pouts as she focused intently on the sneaker-wearing teen skipping around the stage like a pro..

 _Hadn't she said something at the café about wanting to be a professional singer..?_

She didn't remove her hands when _Teenage Dream_ had come on, her face heating up to an even more melting red as Wataru sulked in her arms. She was having a hard time not crushing the poor boy to her chest to hide him from Maisha's spot-on Katy-Perry...

Cascada's _Bad Boy_ came on, and she finally released Wataru's ears, holding both of his hands gently as they hopped in place to the beat with the rest of the crowd.

 _She just had to figure out how to corner the girl without causing a scene.._

Finally as _Brave New Girl_ by Britney spears _\- another 'fictional' artist -_ came to an end, the crowd that was fired up began moving to trickle out of the concert area. They had screamed, maybe not as much for Futo, since he was a young male idol, but it was fairly impressive.

Without thinking about the consequences, though taking Wataru's safety into account, she pulled her brother's hand carefully through the crowd, making sure he as well protected as they reached the stage, and, eventually, the back entrance. There was no guard there, despite being the entrance to an idol's whereabouts. Then again, Futo most likely already left. He didn't make it a habit of staying long after shows. He relished in attention, but being mobbed sort of crossed the line..

"Miss Nene- if you would please stop for just a moment- we still have to discuss your-"

"I have no interest in staying any longer than I have to. I agreed o sing for you because I had an agenda- I didn't do it to be scouted. _Now buzz off_."

Natasha stepped completely in front of Wataru out of instinct as a bright, jolting flare burst from the door. However, Wataru looked confused, if only a little startled by her advance. Did he.. not see that-?

"There you are, I was wondering when you'd poke your nose around again, though the show didn't give us much that happened after the concert-"

A hand covered Maisha's mouth immediately, and Natasha shot the woman a strict glare, darting her eyes to her stunned brother before zeroing back in on the, now confirmed, angel.

"Let's talk somewhere quietly, yeah?" Natasha asked softly, gently easing her hand away while the "teen" shrugged, rolling her shoulders and folding her arms behind her head, grinning with a sort of smug, pleased smirk, "I was right.."

"Let's go, Wataru-chan," Natasha turned her eyes gently to her brother, holding out a hand as he stepped forward, and taking hi into her own, bending down to peck at his hair, "how about I get you some fizzy water for your stomach.. It'll help you feel better." "Thank you, Onee-chan~!" Wataru giggled, giving his sister a tight hug before tilting his head toward the lady who had been on stage, now dressed with a hoodie and a burlap knapsack over her shoulder, "Ano.. Who is she, Onee-chan..?"

"Call me Nene, kid," Maisha grinned, showing off her teeth, set apart from fair skin, and her now close-up, yellow-green eyes blazing with familiarity, amusement, and warmth, "And your sister can call me that, too."

"Is that so," Natasha's voice was cool, but her displeasure was clear in her aura, the worried blue fragments around the golden hue flickering wildly with every step she took towards them. She unconsciously centered herself between the two, making a warning claim towards the woman with her eyes, before jerking her head toward the festival, "It's pretty loud out there tonight.. maybe we should go get that drink." _We'll talk while he's safely busy_ , went unsaid.

They walked peacefully for a few minutes, Maisha -Nene, Natasha reminded herself- asking about all the stuffies, giving the rabbit a mirthful, knowing look, then giving Natasha an exasperated, amused one, "Let me guess," the elder angel asked her quietly, while Wataru was given money to purchase a fizzling water just fifteen feet away in clear view. "Is that for the doctor..?"

"If Wataru decides that- he won it."

Nene gave her a deadpanned stare, and Natasha merely grinned in response, leaning back to rest her hips n the wooden fence line, "The game was rigged.. so I.. may have charmed the rings he threw..?" There was a moment of processing silence, then-

"You are such a wonderful little devil, I have no words," she was abruptly pulled into a hug, and Natasha choked on air, reaching out her arms wildly for purchase, though she was still being suffocated into her "classmates" scarily developed chest, "I need oxygen-!"

"Oh right, still some human in you.." Nene murmured thoughtfully as she drew back, the pleased flush on her face fading with her grin as she looked more thoughtful, almost to a broody degree. "Speaking of, we need to talk about _that_.. You're not exactly _Ema_.."

"Don't remind me," Natasha inserted calmly, taking deep, calming breaths. Nene watched her for a moment, amber orbs trailing between the silverette and the salmon haired child.

"You really care about them.." she spoke after a few moments, her words soft and sympathetic as she turned to look up at the glittering sky, using her arms as leverage to lean back further, "My name's Nenekirimaru.. It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Natasha." "Nenekirimaru... isn't that from Nurarihyon no Mago..?"

"I'm one of Katana's descendants," she boasted quickly, her eyes lighting up as she leaned closer to Natasha's face, practically glowing, though her aura literally did so, "Biggest stick-up his ass angel after the great Arrow himself.. But he's the sweetest man up there when you get on his good side.."

" _Are_ you on his good side?" Natasha chuckled a little at her startled, then bashful expression. "Not yet," she shrugged playfully, punching the girl's shoulder in jest, "I'm undecided, as of now, sort of.. word on the cloud is that so are you.." she adopted a serious expression, though the teen's eyes remained locked on her brother as he waited in line, "I have a plan, there are a few things I need to do in a couple places.. sightseeing, you know, before I get tied down with an agenda, but you.." she trailed off then, and Natasha hardly peeked at her before returning to her watching.

"You don't even have a plan. I'm eventually- _eventually,_ going to climb that set of stairs and register at that gate, but for now, I want to live life for me for a while."

"I'm not going to be a pawn, Maisha," Natasha murmured, referring to the name she was given before giving her a hard look, her jaw set and her eyes blazing in warning. "I'm not stupid. I know how those things work, and what I didn't understand; I asked. Bao and Arrow explained everything that I could possibly-"

"Woah-woah-woah-! Hold the phone-! When did you and Sparky Mc _Sexy_ get acquainted-?!"

"Pardon-?" Natasha deadpanned, giving her most serious glare to the woman when she practically started sparkling.

"Is his hair _really_ as dark as a midnight shadow-? Are his eyes the color of blood-soaked rubies-? _DOES HE SMELL LIKE THE WOODSMOKE OF THE UNDERWORLD-?! TELL ME WOMAN- I NEED TO KNOW_ -!"

Partly through her abrupt jumping, and vigorous shaking, of Natasha's person, she had switched to English, and a few carnival stragglers were watching them with curious, stunned expressions. Gathering her bearings as best she could, Natasha reached a hand out, pressing her palm over the woman's shoulder and sending a sharp spike of her energy.

Her assaulter halted almost immediately, and gave her a slight, flush-faced grin, " _So-rry_ ~! It's just- he's the biggest, most mouth-watering angel out there-! He's so cut off and _serious_ \- as far as I can tell he hasn't even _done_ anything with the other angels- it's actually pretty surprising he sticks around anyplace more than a few months, because usually boredom sets in with the whole existential dread thing-"

"-I know, Nene-chan~! I absolutely loved your music~!" Natasha loudly interrupted her, snatching her hands that had been outlining an imaginary rendition of either a butt or a set of shoulders. Holding them with her own with a strangled, but bright grin, her eyes narrowing death at the woman who immediately shut her mouth with a tiny gulp.

"Onee-chan~!"

Natasha had two seconds before she had weight knocking into her side, looking down at the bright eyes of her bother with a sweet, genuine smile as she pet his hair.

"did you get the drink?" she asked quickly, concern in her eyes as she searched his hands. Seeing the bright blue cup, she sighed gently, relief flooding her face as she pet his hair, and pat his back, "Take a seat and drink that for a little while.. we still have quite a few things to do here.."

Nene was quiet for a moment, then nodded to herself, and stood up, pulling up her hood to hide her glossy hair. "I should get going, actually.. You know- gotta rest the vocal cords and all..." "It was nice meeting you, Nene-san-!" Wataru chirped, waving politely while his sister cuddled him into her side, nuzzling his hair with a hidden, pained expression.

"I'll catch you around.." Nene said slowly, giving the girl a final, long look, before she turned her head back to the festival, "It might.. be a while, though.. agenda, and all.."

"I understand," The silverette murmured softly.

"Welp," Nene perked up suddenly, shooting the duo a wink, "I'll be going-! Take good care of the boys now, ya' hear?"

"Already covered."

She was gone in less than a minute, and Natasha simply sat with her brother as he sipped at his fizzy water, burying her face in his hair and biting back tears.

 _How much time would she have left with this sweet, little boy..._

* * *

 **And there you have it-!**

 **I know, I know- it took me forever to update-**

 **In my defense, I just won a court case, and for a very good reason.**

 **Not to mention trying to fix education and family into the mix.**

 **I can't promise steady updates, but I _can_ guarantee that I won't giv up on this book _or_ his series..**

 **Truth be told, the second book is already on the fast tracks to being edited.**

 **Well, that's all for now.**

 **I'd like everyone who's reading this to give me their thoughts.**

 **Should I do a poster contest? Or sell digital art?**


	51. Sneak Peek

_**Hellooooo~ My lovely readers~!**_

 _ **I've started the second book, and I decided, welp- why not tease my little followers a bit?**_

 _ **Enjoy~**_

 _ **Muahahahaha~!**_

 **Book Two Sneak Peeks~!**

* * *

"What do you feel when you look at the sea?" he asked calmly. Watching the flickers of thoughts in her eyes with a knowing expression. She didn't answer, so he continued, his expression letting some of his serious meaning leak onto his face, "When you're looking for something, you go that way.. That means you've got a lot more ahead of you from now on.."

 _Wonderful.._ She mind-desked, her expression briefly displaying her hesitation, and intrigue, as his face turned completely serious, both of his hands now covering hers over her knees. "It won't be happy all the time; there'll be times where you'll be sad.. But no matter how painful or sad it is.. That doesn't mean that it's the end.."

 _She really.. Really needed to hear that._

"The end is when you give up, thinking it's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible.." she felt herself murmuring before she could control her mouth, and his briefly surprised face seemed to slowly melt into something more heartwarmingly pleased.

"You're always the one to decide that," he agreed softly, his smile was sweet again, and she felt a warmth curl around her chest like before.. "Not fate, or anyone else.. So," his fangs showed again in his bright, beckoning smile, and oh how she wanted to hug this man who reminded her of them- "It's not scary. So come out of your own world.." He smiled more seriously then, as if he had a hint of fatigue, "It's okay.. You can alway destroy the world.." He looked determined, and there was no other word for that glint in his eyes, the slightly firm hold on her hands or the set to his mouth as he smiled, "Destroy it, and then make a new world after that.." She slipped her hands around beneath his, and she found her fingers curling around the ridiculously big index fingers of his gloves, but he kept going, only cradling her hands with a more reassuring squeeze. "There's no end to the possibilities.."

* * *

He was very interested in the way Natasha was clinging to Nine's thigh, clearly uncomfortable with the new person that was drilling a hole through her head, though, he was even more interested when his Allmate, a sort of dog, bounded out from between his legs and bounded toward the child. He assumed the kid would jump, shout, or scramble for cover, but when the kid opened their arms with an entranced look on their face, he did a doubletake, watching his Allmate, Jaku, leap onto their torso and send to kid to his butt. The kid _giggled_.

"Aoba-chan likes allmates..?" Haruka giggled from above the child, the kid looking up at her with the most awe-struck expression he'd ever seen before returning to petting the dog, Jaku preening beneath the kid's touch with a thunder-happy tail and his synthetic tongue hanging out of his mouth. "He's very gentle," Jaku's light, happy voice startled the kid for only a split second, before he returned to petting him, a gleam of affection in his eyes as he cuddled into the Allmate's neck.

"Cute.." the child murmured, hugging the Allmate once more before begrudgingly standing and returning to Nine's side, head bowed in apology as he twiddled his thumbs. "Maybe I could get Aoba-chan an Allmate for his birthday..?" The kid lit up on the spot, and Jousuke had to flinch at the sudden energy seeping from the kid. "We'll see you later, Jousuke," Nine waved brightly to the pierced male as the child was tugged toward the elevator by his pink-haired girlfriend. Jousuke took one look at his Allmate, perturbed by his sudden peppy behavior, and furrowed his eyebrows. "Since when were you all cuddly with people you've never met?" "Don't even think about it," the dog warned him with an almost indignant sniff, narrowing his eyes in embarrassment, much like a tsundere, "Don't expect it to happen again.."

"Yeah, yeah," the brunette muttered, almost deadpanned as he opened the door to go inside, he did come out for a smoke, after all, "I'll check to see if you've got a weird bug or something later.." "Shut uuup.." Jaku muttered, ears pulled back as he hung his head, following his master dutifully.

* * *

" _Fucking hell_.." the voice muttered, clearly English, as he shook out his hair with a blubber noise, as if cleaning his mouth, and carefully straightening his back, then crouching a bit, as if in pain. As if sensing eyes on them, they stilled, hand spread silently over the wall of pictures, and slowly turned their body around. Natasha had sit up at this point, wide golden eyes pointedly staring at the person that was _definitely not Arrow or Staff or Bao_ \- Red eyes gleamed in the light, and Natasha felt her eyebrows furrow. He seemed.. Familiar..? Her bedroll was pooled around her lap, but the figure merely stared at her with bright, calculating eyes.. They wore a long sleeved, dark shirt, and pale, baggy jeans, with rips in the knee. He was barefoot, with a thin, set mouth, and a boyish face.. His hair was a chocolate brown, messy, and hanging to his shoulders.. He was leanly muscled, and had the softest tint of pink to his lips..

" _Who are you._.?"

* * *

"Seragaki Aoba," the headmaster spoke formally, looking to the spinning, dizzy golden eyes of the blue-haired child with a clear of his throat. "As soon as the week starts again, you will be attending class 6-A." Natasha shook her head quickly, blinking at the man in confusion. Though, he continued to speak, standing prim and proper as he started to list off several rules. "Classes begin at eight thirty and release at four. You'll have to wash the dye from your hair, as well as consider joining a-"

"Excuse me," Haruka interrupted quickly, cutting off the man, who went beat red in the face with multiple pairs of eyes on him in utmost seriousness. Haruka continued, seeing his disgruntled expression. "Aoba-chan's hair is naturally this color." The headmaster, with his blading black hair, could only blink at her slowly, not comprehending her words. It was Nine who finally sighed, and began to discuss school rules and regulation with the deadpanned headmaster. Haruka took Aoba's hand and, on Nine's instructions, went ahead to get mochi.

Natasha had never been more thankful to leave a school.


	52. Chapter 10: part 5

The two got a quick refill of snacks, Wataru getting more shaved ice, blue raspberry this time, while his sister stuck with a ginormous, long cup with a whacky straw filled with strawberry soda. It was about the length of her arm, and it was a bright blue, the straw being a funky rainbow pattern as it curled in every possible direction.

She also nibbled on Takoyaki, occasionally trailing her eyes to the crowd that was "sneakily" following them as they observed the games and prizes offered. After a while, they came to a darts game, and Natasha pat Wataru on the shoulder, shooting him a smile that spoke volumes of her excitement, "Can Onee-chan do this one, 'Taru-chan..?"

"Okay, 'Nee-chan~!" he chirped, accepting the giant bunny she held out so she could approach the counter. The child had to use his entire body to keep it upright, but he had a full-view of the booth his sister was at, so he didn't mind.

"Excuse me, sir," Natasha called brightly, the older man she estimated around sixty running the dart game turned to her in surprise, examining her appearance before offering her a small, kind smile, though he was slightly fatigued. "Yes, Miss..? What can I do for you?"

"May I purchase.." she trailed off softly to herself, darting her eyes around the prizes and making several calculations before she smiled to him with a touch of cheer, "Fifteen darts, please?"

"Of course," he nodded, turning to grab three rounds worth of darts and giving her a smile that only elders knew how to give to younger children, "I'll take off the first set, since you bought three." "That's quite alright," she assured him calmly, much to his swift confusion, "I don't plan on missing any shots, So I suppose I should correctly pay.."

She lied out the amount for three sets, and gave the man a sweet grin, "I rather enjoy darts."

Three targets were pinned up along the back wall, and she carefully lifted several of the finned darts, examining their design and weighing them in her hand before shooting her younger brother a smile, "Wataru-! Would you mind giving me luck~?" He was quick to hop over the few steps to his sister, the giant bunny slumping into the counter with his absence as he took the darts in his sister's hands, (carefully, at her hawk-eyed look) he kissed each of the winged ends quickly, and held them out to her with a wide grin, "Here you go~!"

 _SHINK-!_

Had she gotten a single one in the surrounding rings she was sure Bao would have had her ass...

The surrounding people were silent with bated breath as the child handed off the woman each of the darts with a quick kiss, the old man just staring on blankly as one by one five darts centered in the first target, five in the second target, and four in the third. She held the last dart up for the crowd to see, deciding that showing off just a bit was okay. Spinning on her heal, she set her back to the booth, winking sweetly to the teens in front of her before flipping the dart in the air, catching it, and sending it over her shoulder without so much as a glance.

 _SHINK-!_

The silence continued for two more seconds before the applause sounded. Wataru cheered, clapping the loudest for his sister when she merely turned calmly to the old man, who looked on the cusp of heart failure, as she pointed to several of the stuffed animals hanging above. "I'll take the dog, the lizard, and the peacock." He handed over the large stuffies that raised to her thighs, and she politely thanked him before pulling her obi ribbon around them tightly, and strapping them to her back like a fluffed backpack. She saw a large, Crown-wearing dolphin a few booths over that seemed to suit Iori..

"Onee-chan-!" the child chirped, rushing to grab her hand as she held all of the stuffies on her back, ( _-people were staring at the large mountain of stuffies but were a bit too intimidated to be in the way-_ ) "Can we get some more shaved ice-?" "Of course we can," Natasha grinned, swinging her long blue cup in her other hand casually, "I could use a refill as well."

* * *

They were walking along the festival grounds through the cleared-out path the people made for them, Natasha being sure to ignore the stares in favor of giggling at Wataru's cuteness.

She could hear music in the distance, and despite wanting to go in the other direction, she had a feeling the restrooms were closer than the ones behind them when the time inevitably came.

"Shaved ice is so tasty~!" the child sang brightly, having a large number of smaller stuffed animals in a net bag on his back, ribbons she had purchased at a nearby booth threaded in the bag to make shoulder straps. "Just be careful not to eat too much," Natasha scolded good naturedly, though she herself was nibbling around a bite of Takoyaki, the wonderfully chocolate taste flooding her tongue as she sighed, "I don't want you getting sick."

Natasha shot her arm out in front of her brother as a pair of girls cut into their path, her eyes sharp as she watched them, oblivious to their surroundings, cut through people with ease and rush toward the road to their right.

"Hurry- Hurry-!"

"It's going to start-!"

"Come on~! Wait for me-!"

Wataru watched curiously, holding onto his sister's hand with his free one as he watched the girls' backs disappear. "I wonder what's going on.."

"Probably another boy-band concert," Natasha deadpanned, disinterested, as she glared at their waving arms. _They could have hit Wataru.._

"Can we go see?!" he perked up immediately, and Natasha didn't even hesitate to nod. Whatever he wanted, she was prepared to give it to him-

 _She didn't know how long she had left here, after all…_

"Let's go then-! Hurry-!" The boy giggled brightly, tugging her hand as they rushed through the new path the people had made, seeing them veer off of the main course. Once they had managed to slide into the crowd, Natasha let the bunny sit on the ground, and she swiftly lifted the struggling Wataru up to her hip. It was hardly a difference, by a foot maybe, but he could better see the person shrouded in darkness on the stage, and the black screen above them.

People were squealing and cheering around them, the majority questioning others about who was performing, but as a loud boom sounded, and the duo looked up to the stage, large columns of golden sparks shot into the navy blue sky, setting it aflame and light shining onto the stage. A man in a bright white suit and blue accents stood in a model-esqe pose, head held down and shooting the crowd a smoldering look.

The announcer's voice boomed across the crowd, the instantaneous, ear-piercing shrieks almost drowning him out, but not entirely from Natasha and her smaller companion.

" _Welcome to a special, live performance by Asakura Futo_ ~!" Natasha's disappointed groan was drowned out by the screams, though Wataru's face had immediate wonder and awe as he stared at his brother on stage, blonde hair turning silk in the lights, "- _Let's keep it pumped up all the way to the end-_!"

"Futo.. great," her sarcasm was light, but Wataru predictably missed the sarcasm and the rueful smile, waving his free arm above his head wildly like the other fans in excitement, "Fu-tan is live-! He's so cool~!"

"Cool as ice," Natasha deadpanned with a small smile, watching the male on stage as he blew kisses to the crowd, then, she muttered, " _Just like his heart.."_

 _"Girl, there's somethin' in your eyes~! That you cannot disguise~!"_

Natasha jerked in surprise when his arm shot out, his eyes narrowing sharply in her direction. She shuddered, uncomfortable as she turned her head, as if to find someone else he could be pointing at, and, knowing better, resigned to silently groan in embarrassment. Despite knowing the words, now, and understanding the lyrics, she had to admit, the music was kind of worth it..

 _"Please don't bother to deny~ The -"_

Natasha heard a pained moan, and shot her eyes to Wataru, worry etched on her face when he tugged at the collar of her shirt, his head curled down as he grimaced, "Onee-chan.."

"Wataru, what's the matter-?" she rushed, turning her back on the concert and crouching to set him down on his feet so she could properly look him over.

"I think I had too much shaved ice, after all.."

"It's alright, I saw a bathroom back that way" Natasha sighed, relieved as she took his hand, slinging the bunny over her back and tugging Wataru through the crowd, ignoring the shivers of slight fear the people making way gave to their backs at the icy look on her face. Once they were out of the crowd, Natasha helped the pained child jog toward a nearby building, leading him up to the men's restroom door sign before pointing to a tree not fifteen feet away, "I'll be right there when you're done, I won't move at all, so you can find me when you're ready all right?" he nodded pathetically, and she pet his head, "Take your time, there's no rush."

He moved quickly inside, and Natasha sighed in relief, turning to go to the designated tree. She leaned the giant bunny up beside it, letting the top of it's head reach her chest when it was sitting. She leaned her back against the tree, closing her eyes with a small frown as she tried to rack her brain.. She knew something was about to happen, but-

"Hey, you there- are you alone-"

The person didn't even get to finish before a leg shot out and kicked the bunny, sending it flying into him and blocking him from the small female now crouched in a defensive tae-kwon-do stance. Slowly he met her eyes, bright gold clashing with ice blue. Suddenly, the defensive stance dropped, she stood straight up, and marched up to him, pulling the giant rabbit (- _bigger than her, he noted_ -) out of his arms and glaring at him in patient reprimand, "You scared the bejeezus out of me, please don't do that." She took a slow deep breath, and the man merely blinked down at her, the bright white hair, the elegant kimono, and the royal, almost commanding aura. "I apologize for throwing this at you."

"It's fine.." he murmured, lifting a hand to pat his cheek, shocking him back into the present as he took a closer look at the delicate fairy in front of him, "I didn't mean to startle you.. It was rude of me." "It's fine," she repeated, and sent him a smile then, a small, sweet one, that seemed to make a tiny part of him tingle.

"So" he murmured, sliding back into his role as Club Buddha host, "You seem a little lonely, didn't you find any nice guys out there..? I can keep you company if you'd like."

"I'm waiting for my brother," she shrugged off his first question, giving him a friendly nod in return, "I wouldn't mind company I suppose.." Her eyes trailed up her person to his face, eyebrows furrowed as her eyes were drawn to the large fan in his hands, her silver eyebrows shooting up as she voiced her thoughts, "Club Buddha.. Aren't you that man from the flier..?" He gave her a pleased smile, but it was wiped into stunned awe when she giggled softly, shooting him a beaming grin, "My brother Kaname works there.. Perhaps you are co-workers..?"

"Ka-na-me..?" he murmured dumbly, titling his head ever so slightly. _This girl is.. Really cute_ … "What's your name..?"

"Hinata, Asahina, Natasha," Natasha smiled, bowing her head politely before giving him a smile, "and you?"

"My name is-" he started to introduce himself, tone smooth, but was cut off by a loud, distant voice, both of them turning in surprise to see the tall, blonde male running up to them, waving his arm in delight. "Imouto-chan~!"

"Ah, there is one..," Natasha smiled, lifting an arm in greeting as he jogged up to them, panting slightly as he hurried to her side. Surprisingly, he swept her up into a hug, and she squeaked, her feet waving in the air as he spun her around once, then set her on the ground, his face clouded in confusion, "You're so light, Imouto-chan.. Have you been eating properly..?"

"Enough to feed a horse," she coughed, shaking her head to clear it from the sudden spin, "Kana-nii~! You surprised me~!" "But Imouto-chan is so cute when she's flustered~!" the blonde teased, using his hands to cup his sister's pouting face. _So cute_.. "Thanks for coming, you look lovely, as always.." He finished off his sentence with a wink, and she merely rolled her eyes, patting his hands to be released so she could brush off her kimono. He had some glitter on his clothes..

"Oh..? Don't tell me she's one of your customers, Kana-san..?" the silver haired male tilted his head, his deep voice laced in slight annoyance, at being interrupted, and slight amusement, at seeing the usually suave blonde act so childish.

"No, Chii-chan," the blonde shook his head slightly, his arms winding around his sister's shoulders while he faced the other male, "She's my sweet little Imouto. _Im-ou-to."_

"Imouto?" Chiaki sounded stunned, and Natasha couldn't help but pounce, now that his identity was confirmed.

"I saw the picture of you in the flier- and I just have to know- but is your hair that color naturally-?" she looked up at him with such a fierce intensity that Kaname tugged tighter around her shoulders, pulling her back up tightly to his chest, as if to hide her from his co-worker, though she ignored it.

Chiaki blinked slowly, giving her a smooth, pleased grin as he nodded his head, "Mhmm.. And is yours that color, naturally?"

"Of course," Natasha scoffed, her displeasure in her tone as she glared at the nearby tree, "I've never found a dye brand that could stay in for more than a day or two, anyway.." Knowing she needed to, she paused, as if realizing something, and tilted her head up at him, ignorant of the wide blink he gave her that portrayed his thoughts, "Ano.. Kaname called you, Chii-chan..?"

"Oh," Seeing the male unable to immediately speak, (- _too busy gawking over his precious sister, he could bet, to his inner annoyance_ -) , he sent his sister a sweet smile, turning her shoulders just enough so her cute expression was facing toward him, "His name is Chiaki, written as 'a thousand autumns'. Hence the name, 'Chii-chan'."

"It sounds cute," Natasha giggled brightly, happy not to be the only one with the name. "Very cute, actually." Kaname hummed in the back of his throat, fighting off a pout as he gave his sister an easy smile, "Here he's called Senshuu, though…"

"So," Chiaki spoke after a moment, giving her a sweet, dazzling smile only a Club Buddha host could pull off, "You're the little sister Kana-san's so proud of..?" He seemed to be directing a sort of aura towards the two, one that Kaname immediately disliked. Natasha felt a sort of clashing will between the two as Kaname answered for her, his arm around her shoulder tightening ever so slightly. "Yup, that's right.. _My_ ," the emphasis he had put into the words were subtle, but still there, " _adorable_ little Imouto that I am so _proud_ of…"

They simply stared at one another above her head, and she darted her eyes between the two in disbelief. Had she not known any better, she would assume they were having some sort of dick-measuring contest. That not being the case, she was confused about the almost invisible tension shooting between the two peacefully smiling males.

"Well, well.."

A deep voice cut into the silent atmosphere, and all three young adults turned to see an approaching, older male. He was relaxed, and smiling, mostly at Natasha, who seemed more confused than slightly uncomfortable about two suave, silver-tongued monks practically growling at each other. "Both our Number Two and Number Three are here, together.." He slowed as he neared them, stopping shy just a few feet to give the group an amused smile, "..fighting over a cute customer.."

"Psst-" Natasha shot Kaname a look, tugging on his sleeve as she stood on her tiptoes to his ridiculously high-ness, "-is that guy blind..?" then, louder, to herself as she glanced toward the tree again, "then again I suppose it _is_ dark.."

The blonde groaned, loudly, and tugged sharply on his sister, the weight distribution sending her face-first into the male's chest and smothering her, had she been a lesser woman. He cuddled her as close to physically possible, the sound of tears in his voice, "Imouto~! You are so self-depreciative~!"

"Mn' Nah CUEFF-!" She screamed into his robes, feet kicking into the open air as she struggled against his arms, (- _weakly, she didn't want to break his arms-_ ) and finally managed to pull her head out for a gasp of air, "Kana- _meeeee_ ~!"

"Ryusei-san," Chiaki greeted after a moment of watching the duo, "This is, apparently, Kana-san's Imouto-chan.."

"Imouto..?" Ryusei repeated, his voice deep and filled with slight curiosity as he tilted his head down to the flushed, embarrassed girl being doted upon by the tall blonde Asahina. Seeing his superior in front of him, the blonde reluctantly lowered his sister, letting her geta hit the ground and allowing her to take deep breaths, before addressing the older male with a respectful bow. "Yes, Kaname is my elder brother."

"Imouto," Kaname's moved to his sister's shoulders once again, and he spoke with a bright, happy voice, "this is Ryusei-san, Club Buddha's Number One."

"It's nice to meet you," the eldest male greeted, bowing his head to the young girl. "That reminds me," he chuckled, turning his eyes to his coworkers, "-you should both get back to the main temple.." "Huh?" the younger male's chorused, gobsmacked expressions on their faces.

"It looks like we double booked some customers." he smiled, serene and completely at ease, "You're going to get yelled at." " _What_ -?!"

The panic was instantaneous, both boys tensing up before they moved to run-walk in their geta in the direction of the temple, nearly tripping over themselves and each other in the process.

"Say that first-!" Chiaki snapped, rushing away from the group with a stern expression.

"Imouto-chan," Kaname chuckled, embarrassed as he briefly pat his sister's shoulder, moving to hurry away, "I'm sorry but I'll see you at home later, alright-?"

He was already rushing when she shook her head, bringing a hand to her mouth and calling out in a warning tone, "You better be careful running, Kana-nii-!"

"Will-do-!" he cheered back, before disappearing behind a line of booths.

"Jeez," Natasha sighed, shaking her head as she folded her arms into her sleeves, "You'd think 'Kyo-nii were chasing him.."

"Nn.. I'm pleased to meet you," the deep voice of Ryusei came from behind her, and she turned politely to face him, matching his cool, calm smile. Seeing as he had her attention, he continued, one hand poised lightly on his hip as he held her gaze, "Kana-chan was so happy that he'd gained an adorable little sister." "I didn't know he talked about me like that," she murmured, sighing as she leaned back into the tree. She didn't really have the energy to stand straight right now.

Ryusei's brow furrowed ever so slightly, and he tilted his head toward her, "It must be exhausting.. To play the good little sister."

Natasha eyes shot up to him sharply, golden orbs cool and calculating as she met warm brown ones. "Excuse me," she narrowed her eyes, then, her fingers tensing beneath her sleeves as she kept her cool, "But I don't seem to understand your sentiment. I don't 'act' like a good sister, I can only strive to _be_ one."

He chuckled once, his posture relaxing as he took in her expression, his voice as warm as a summer breeze, "I'm sorry for bringing this up out of the blue.. I might not look it, but I'm still a monk, so I pick up on things like people's troubles."

"And what of your own," she scoffed, tilting her head at him with a more relaxed expression, "My troubles aren't exactly your problem." He sighed, looking down at her with an expression that suggested his mind were seeing something else. "Man or woman.. Young or old.. Rich or poor.. In the end, human's are all troubled by the same thing. It's almost uncanny" he chuckled, weakly, almost mockingly, at the thought, "Human's are troubled by love."

"It's not only humans…"

Her statement seemed to catch him off guard, and he blinked down at her in surprise, watching as she seemed to examine her open palm, her left thumb pressing over the webbed skin of her right hand, as if to hide something. "Oh?"

"Angels, Demons, Gods and Devils," Natasha murmured, turning her gaze up to the monk with a reserved smile, "They all struggle with love.." her head lowered to her hand, and she sharply made a fist, dropping it to her side, "It's not only humans.. Now let me guess what you were about to say.."

She shrugged herself off of the tree, and stood her full five-two height, tilting her chin up to meet his eyes, his slightly-wide, brown orbs watching in surprise and curiosity as she continued, voice low.

"Something along the lines of.. 'Whether it is between family or lovers, it has always been true, and will remain true, without reason or doubt.' or something along those lines.."

"You sound like a real monk.." he murmured, a smile splitting across his mouth as he chuckled giving her a brief, warm grin. "Coming from a real monk, you can take my word for it.."

"I don't have such faith," she gave him a smile then, and it wiped his own away, the pressure, pain, fear and doubt on her face taking away the sweet layer it was intended for, "I've learned that such one side of a coin can be just as controlling as the other."

"Then you have not found your place," he murmured, watching as a serene expression replaced the other, and she looked up at him, her eyes gentle.

"No," she murmured, "I suppose I haven't, have I..?"

"Family is a love that is unbreakable," he spoke after a moment of silence, "It is the one love we can rely on through all of life's hardships and troubles.."

"And if a family is unable to understand and accept a significant change..?"

"Problems with love are never ending," he answered with a reverent smile, "You've got no choice but to confront them by being yourself… Because a family is something that can withstand that.. ..And _that_ is what _real_ love is.."

 _Being honest_.. Her mind whispered, her hands trembling as they raised up to curl into the front of her kimono, "Would you like to play the hypothetical game..?"

"Oh?" he murmured, briefly confused by her turn of words. Not waiting for an answer, she continued, her head turned toward the ground as her back rested against the tree,

"If you were an angel, with wings that normal humans could not see.. How would you tell your family.. The family you had chosen.. That you were not of their kind.. And that you were scared.." Her mouth tensed in the corners, and he watched a shine dart down the edge of her face and disappear, "Scared of being misunderstood.. Scared of being treated differently.." Her head lifted, and he saw the gentle run of black at the corner of her left eye. _She's crying_ , his mind whispered, and without thought his hand reached forward to cup her cheek, a soft warmth coming through her skin and into the rough pads of his.

"Scared of being pushed away and abandoned," she scoffed, lifting a hand to pull his away, but not letting it go. "What would you do?" It quiet for a minute, then-

"...I would trust my family," he murmured, giving her a small, patient smile, "I don't think I completely understand what you are trying to ask.. But If I know Kana-chan.. He will accept you whatever way you may be.. I can't say so for the rest of the family, personally, but something tells me it isn't just a _personal_ philosophy.."


	53. Chapter 10: part 6

This woman was going to drive him insane.

She hadn't even touched on any of her Holy energy, and yet she was making deadly accurate shots at almost inhuman speeds. Had she not been glancing around at the little fan-crowd she'd attracted he would assume she had no knowledge of anyone but the little boy she accompanied.

That being said, it was a good thing for so many people to be following, considering how often he felt the need to twitch in anger, distrupting his sheild and energy flow and drawing her attention to the crowds.

This could not get any worse.

Accessing the other male's minds through clones was easy, it was swallowing their thoughts and ambitions that made him angry.

Either she was intentionally being a tease or she was a fucking moron.

Neither of which he wanted to deal with, and an equal amount of choice.

"Either that or she's just too polite," he muttered under his breath, slipping behind yet another starry-eyed male to see her approach a booth with goldfish, the little boy chirping animatedly beside her.

* * *

"Oh- left-left-left-! Quick- Wataru-!"

"I got it-!" the younger boy cheered, jumping with a bright grin as the vendor bagged the goldfish he had caught. "I'm going to name it.." he held up the small, plastic bag eye-level for a moment, and expression of utmost seriousness on his face, then immediately smiled, "Momo-!"

"A cute name," Natasha giggled, petting his hair as she smiled down at the barrel-like pool on the ground that the vendor woman was running, "How about I give it a try..?"

"Go Onee-chan, Go-!" Wataru giggled, careful not to shake his bag as he cheered on his sister.

"One net please," Natasha handed a thousand yen to the middle-aged woman, and grasped the paper net she was offered. Carefully, she lowered herself to her knees, the older woman grabbing an empty plastic bag and filling it with the tub water while Natasha eyed the hundreds of shiny orange-goldfish swimming around. Narrowing her eyes ever so slightly, and carefully dipped her net inside toward the bottom.

Slowly, and hesitantly, she pulled it back, slow enough not to rip the net, but fast enough to catch at least one fish-

...

"ONEE-CHAN YOU GOT FOUR OF THEM-!"

Natasha jerked out of her shock to put the fish in the bag that the frozen vendor lady had held out, the woman immobile as she stared at the teen blankly, then moved her hands robotically to close the bag.

She hesitantly accepted the bag, giving her an embarrassed smile and moving to re-adorn the now fourteen large stuffed animals she had tied together around the bunny with large ribbons and several new obi she had bought. She had also purchased several shirts, souvenirs and kimonos, but those were set up to be delivered to the vacation home later that night, much like the other giant animal stuffies.

At least she didn't get three fish...

She really hated the number three.

It was _so_ overused.

"I think we should start heading for the meeting spot," Natasha spoke to Wataru after they'd began walking toward the main temple again, "The fireworks will start later, and I think we should all watch them together, don't you think?"

"Okay-!" he chirped, skipping alongside his sister with a visible portion of energy missing, but no less pep.

The walk was filled with giggles and recounts of his amazing aim, and Natasha merely shook her head slowly, the warm smile stuck on her face as she relished in the fact that she was smart enough to take a video and multiple pictures during said video.

Soon enough, she spotted the ridiculously tall form of Subaru and a familiar head of pumpkin colored hair.

" _CHIANTIIIII_ ~~!" Natasha sang out, loud and sweet, grinning in triumph when the intended target turned his head in her direction, eyes taking in her large cargo and nearly twitching in disbelief as his jaw went slack for about two seconds then snapped closed. Seeing their brother react, the others followed suit, turning their heads to see what had startled him, only to find their tiny sister with a large rabbit on her back, the ears of the animal swinging wildly as she walked and occasionally slapping into the side of her head, though she looked unaffected. Wataru was also carrying a sort of net-pack of stuffies, but it was significantly smaller than the number of ones the elder of the two carried.

Once the two youngest reached them, Natasha first held the fish out to Natsume with a no-nonsense order of "Hold this."

Doing so without a word, the ginger grasped the bag with four swimming fish, freeing the girl's arms so she could set down her strange cup, and shrug off the giant bunny, unwinding the other smaller prizes before freeing the bunny and lifting it as high as she could and passing it over to Masaomi. "Wataru won that for you, as well as six more for the rest of you that will be delivered to the house later tonight."

"Wataru won that..?" Hikaru stared wide-eyed at the giant rabbit that Masaomi seemed to be blinking in wonder at in his arms.

"Yep~!" the youngest chirped, jumping in place as he waved his arms, "I got a bunch of rings at the bottle game-!" "Thirty five consecutive shots," Natasha continued, still in her no-bullshitting tone as she gave them each a hard look, "and if you even question it, I'll provide evidence.."

"That's.." Subaru tried, paused, shook his head, and bent down, roughing up Wataru's hair before patting Natasha's head more delicately, "Well, that doesn't really explain this many prizes.."

"We played a lot of games," Natasha's nose crinkled up delicately as her brother retracted his hand with a chuckle, "I have a sharp eye for darts and Wataru has great tosses."

"Why am I not shocked right now.." Natsume wondered aloud, almost dully as he took a sip of his beer. Something told him he would need it to see this 'Evidence' Natasha had, later..

"Are the fireworks starting soon?" Wataru asked brightly, hanging off of Masaomi's arm with enthusiasm, though it was clear he would pass out at the first opportunity, children always did..

"In just a few minutes," Azusa answered calmly, glancing at the giant pink-and-white rabbit before seeing his sister begin to tie sashes around the rest of the stuffies and tie a number around Natsume's shoulder and another number around Subaru's with a large portion left for herself to carry- that is, until Hikaru swooped in to take a portion and Natsume plucked another one from her back, leaving her with less than half of what she'd given the others.

"This should be fun to get home," Hikaru chuckled at his sister's pout, flicking her nose when she'd turned a mock-glare at him. "We'll be lucky to fit them in the car.."

* * *

The fireworks had been amazing, and Natasha had watched them with Wataru tucked in her arms, Natsume's free arm tucked around her shoulders as they admired the large, exploding balls of light. They'd all shuffled to the cars when it was over, much like the rest of the crowd, and sat in slow traffic on the way home.

Futo had been brought home in the car Natsume had drove, since they'd swung by to pick him up after his autograph signing, and was the first to abandon the cars to go into the guest house.

It was a matter of minutes for them to unload the giant amount of toys to the living room, but everyone was finally settled in. Natasha had changed back into her faded jeans and a purple sweater before she returned to the living room. Hikaru sat watching television, while Ukyo was putting dinner on the table and everyone else was in the process of getting washed up and changed.

She plopped onto the end of the couch stretching out with a yawn letting her head slump onto her shoulder as she waited for the others..

A few minutes passed, but it felt like hours, and Natasha woke up from her doze feeling refreshed. She felt a poking sensation on her cheek, and she turned her head with a mock glare, Chianti's smug grin registering in her mind before she pushed him away, in turn, pushing herself off of the couch.

"Snickerdoodles-!" Natasha gasped, rubbing the back of her head while Natsume snickered behind his hand, accepting the hand he held out with a grimace, "Why were you poking, me~!?" "It's time to eat," he chastised calmly, lifting a hand to ruffle her hair and give her a sweet smile. "You couldn't have just said 'food'," Natasha muttered, letting him drag her by the elbow toward the table and letting her plop into a seat beside Wataru, unfortunately, Hikaru was on the other side. That man was going to dig an early grave for her...

"Were you sleepy, Onee-chan..?" Wataru asked sweetly, smiling when his sister leaned forward to give him a warm hug. "Nah, I just needed a nap," Natasha pet his head gently, then sat back into her seat, accepting the bowl Ukyo gave her with a grin, "Thank-you, Kyo-nii.. You know, you really missed out on that festival, luckily.. I took a lot of pictures and videos." she swallowed a spoonful of rice, and give Masaomi a grin, "You should really think about letting him try out for sports, he has a really good arm.."

"Oh?" he murmured, everyone but Futo turning their heads to the little boy munching on beef, "Would you like to join a sport, Wataru?" the salmon haired child paused, lit up, and turned to his sister so fast the other males wondered if he got whiplash, "If I got to join a sport, would Onee-chan come to watch the games-?!" "Every single game-!" Natasha giggled, raising her hand in a promise, "So long as I am on this earth, and breathing." Natsume coughed a little, wiping his mouth when his brothers glanced at him, only to get a wave of dismissal.

As if clearing a fog, Kaname raised his can of beer in the air, his voice light and airy, "Thanks for everything, guys-! And the festival was really bustling, too-!" He tilted his can toward the window, toward his second youngest sibling, "And thanks to you, too, Fu-chan-!" Natasha glanced to see everyone but Futo seated at the table, the idol in question reading a script at the chair nearby. He turned his head back then, giving a light glare to Kaname's bright expression, his tone putout and slightly annoyed. "Don't make me do a gig just because we're brothers. It causes problems for my agency, too.."

"But you were so cool, Fu-tan~!" Wataru cheered toward him, a bubbly expression on his face. Futo, however, was not impressed. "You left early and you know it."

"You try dealing with those screaming schoolgirls first-hand and get back to me on that one," Natasha called from behind Wataru, giving him a light glare when he'd turned at her voice, "I swear if I hadn't put my foot down, Wataru could have gotten trampled.. You'd be several less fans, then.."

"So violent," the idol murmured, a smirk playing on his lips as he turned back to the window.

Not having heard the promising death tone of his sister, Wataru hummed, "Wow~? Fu-tan saw that..?" Ukyo seeing the anger leave his sister like a breath of air, spoke next, moving to place a plate of food in front of Natsume. "I'm glad that everyone seems to have enjoyed themselves."

"You should have come too, Kyo-nii," Kaname teased, setting his beer down on the table with a taunting grin toward the standing blonde.

"How utterly insincere," Azusa hummed, Natsume giving a somber nod beside him in agreement, deadpan. "You said it."

"Hey now~!" Kaname whined, laughter in his voice as he tilted his head towards his brothers, "Don't go saying the truth like that~"

Everyone but Wataru stared at him for a moment, before Hikaru broke the silence. "Things are lively as ever when we brothers get together." he turned his head to Natasha then, his chin supported by his hand with his elbow on the table, "Have you gotten used to this atmosphere, Imouto..?" "I think I contribute to it more than you think," Natasha sipped at her tea with ease, flashing him a mocking smile. However, her expression faded, and she slowly set her cup down, turning back to her plate and taking a slow, deep breath. ""Actually, I think.. There's something I need to say.." the room went quiet, and even futo turned his head to look over his shoulder to the brooding woman. Natsume set his cup down firmly, narrowing his eyes in confusion when she bit her lip, "Would this be about.. _That_..?"

"Part of it," Natasha murmured, looking up to see everyone's intent, focused expressions, "I guess.. I should admit, first and foremost, that I love every single one of you, and that I have never in my life before, felt such a deep love for family.. You guys.." she chuckled then, her eyes crinkling at the corners, "You guys are the best brothers a girl could ask for.. And I don't want any of you to forget that.."

"Onee-chan.." Wataru whimpered, throwing himself into his sister's side with a cry, "Why do you sound so sad-?! Are you going way-?!"

"Ahm.." Natasha gasped, throwing an arm around the salmon-haired child to steady him, "No, no- at least, I hope not-.."

"What do you mean by that?" Masaomi asked suddenly, narrowing his eyes at the young girl as she flashed brief, scared expression toward them, though it was swiftly replaced with calm, "It's.. an important thing.." Natasha said, by way of explanation, shooting Natsume a sharp look before taking a deep breath, "I don't feel comfortable telling just some of you.. Everyone needs to hear it at some point, together.."

"Natasha," Her name left his lips without thought, and Natsume pressed his lips together firmly when his brothers turned a serious, narrowed glance toward him, with a deep breath, he gave her a look, and shook his head, "No matter what you say, we will always be your brothers.. And you will always be part of this family, don't go doubting us just yet.."

The deadpanned look she shot him calmed his nerves, and he chuckled, "Alright, Alright, I'll shut up.."

"That's easy for you to say, you know," she sent him a mocking glare, lifting her cup toward him to prove a point, "Try adding in mood-swings, temperamental training instructors, insomnia and a squirrel-!" "Sounds awful," he droned, but the teasing was thick. She scoffed, affronted, and stuck up her nose with a huff.

Everyone darted their eyes back and forth between the two for some time before a loud chime echoed through the house.

" _I GOT IT_ -!" the boys jumped when Natasha had darted from the table, practically sprinting around the corner to get to the door.

"What the heck was that-..?" Hikaru asked slowly, his eyebrows high toward his hairline when they heard vague muttering drifting through the home.

"Ju.. et it over-.. Ank-you.. Ice-nigh-.." Click.

"Wataru-! They brought the rest of the stuffies~!""

"Coming~!" The youngest chirped, rushing to the entryway where his sister and two delivery men were carrying a staggering amount of things. "Can I give Ukyo-nii his first?"

"Up to you," the silverette flashed him a smile, grasping the giant animals and lacing a ribbon she had bought around it in order to drag them all at once, then, turning her head to the staring workers, flashed them a sweet smile, "You can just set it in a pile right here, thank you very much for delivering these." "Sure thing.." the man murmured, his brow furrowed as his partner mirrored his expression. She looked like a normal teenager, despite the crazy hair color choice, with no sign of the fairy woman in sight.

Giggling like a mischievous little devil, Wataru began dragging the giant sharp into the dining room by it's head, several loud, startled chokes drifting in the air while Wataru laughed brightly. Natasha heard him say, "For you, Kyo-nii~!" in that evil-angel tone, and suppressed the urge to fall over laughing. Instead, she waved the finished workers away, bringing the rest of the giant stuffies into the dining room and dragging them toward the table.

The brothers stared at her in stunned silence, and she merely flashed an innocent grin, handing over a giant bear to Azusa as she waltzed up to the table, taking one look at Ukyo's deadpan, bemused expression before she gave them a good-natured chuckle. Next was the monkey, which she nearly tripped over the tail to shove at Kaname, followed by the fox to Hikaru, with a very pointed look exchanged, and the raccoon to Subaru, she ceremoniously handed the kitten to Natsume, her eyelashes batting playfully as she giggled, "A friend for Tsubaki and Azusa," she murmured quietly to him, giggling at his amused smirk as he ran his fingers through the fur.

"I got this for you," Natasha stated casually, throwing a large peacock stuffie that went to her hip in height at the idol. He caught it with only a slight fumble, sending her a narrow, suspicious look when she folded her arms over her chest, sighing. "Like it or not, we're still family. Besides, I saw it and thought of you."

"Because of it's beautiful feathers," he rolled his eyes, but his mouth was tugged into a pleased smirk. "Because it is one of the most egotistical animals," Natasha enunciated slowly, chuckling as she moved to walk past him, patting his head in a condescending manner.

Dinner was long over, and the rest of the brothers had gone to their rooms, it was about nine o'clock, now, as they had to get up at a decent time to beat traffic in the morning. Not needing to sleep, just yet, she decided to get some air. She's pasted several sutras around her walls so whatever she felt was following her would think she was still there. Another sutra was stuck on her thigh beneath herfluffy pajama pants. She padded over to the wooden railing on the porch, swinging her leg up and hopping up to sit on the beam, stretching her legs out over the railing with a pleased hum.

 _When shall I tell them..?_

 _As soon as possible._

Easy enough...

HOW should I tell them..?

 _And this was where she was stuck._

 _I could.. Show them Creation..? Or.. Show them Arrow- No, wait- Natsume barely had the mental capacity to deal with him… Nngh.. This is so hard…_ Without thought, Natasha groaned aloud, her head falling back as she glared up at the stars _. "Stupid office..."_

"Can't sleep..?"

"Mother of-!" Natasha flailed backwards sharply, arms waving in a wild arc as she started to tip back, only to feel two, big arms encase her from behind, tugging her off the railing and letting her feet flop uselessly to the ground as they held her upright.

"Jeez, Kaname," Natasha groaned, craning her head back to give her brother a sheepish smile, "I'm ready to buy bell collars for all of you.. You all keep sneaking up on me and scaring the Bejeezus out of me-!"

"I'm very sorry," he chuckled, though there was little apology, and more wry amusement, though his following tone was laced in concern, "Be more careful, though, would you..? You could have gotten hurt." "I'll try," she rolled her eyes, pulling back from his arms as he reluctantly set her completely down. Heaving a heavy sigh, she shook her head, walking back toward the railing and bracing her arms on the wood. "It's very nice out tonight.." she murmured, her eyes trailing across the constellations, "The air is perfect.."

"One of the reasons I love coming here," Kaname chuckled, lifting a hand to pat her head, before joining her at the railing. "It's peaceful, and you can almost forget there are billions of other people on this earth.." "A scary thought.." Natasha smiled wryly, glancing at him with a soft hum, and stood straight, turning to Kaname to give him a slight bow, "I've been a bit held-up, but.." She bowed her head to him politely as he turned to face her, and she kept her posture even, "Thank you for the invitation to the festival. I had a wonderful time."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he placed his hands on her shoulders, slowly easing her out of the bow until she was looking up at him, his expression calm, and warm. "Then, how about a favor in return?"

"Favor?" she repeated dubiously, looking up at him through her eyelashes with mock suspicion, "Depends on the favor, I suppose.." The blonde chuckled, wrapping his arms around her upper back and tugging her tightly against his chest, his breath leaving in a pleased hum. "Nnm.. Just.. Let's stay like this for a while.." "I can definitely do that," she giggled, tucking her head into his chest and winding her arms around his waist tightly. They stayed silent for a minute or two, each with their eyes closed as they just enjoyed the crickets and the stars.

"You didn't sound very happy when I came out," he murmured after a few moments, and Natasha tilted her head up to look at her brother, briefly glancing at his tattoo before dismissing the urge to ask, and, instead, answered his question.

"I was thinking about what I had to tell all of you," she admit softly, relaxing in his hold enough to cuddle into the older male's warm, comforting embrace, "I think I needed this hug more than I thought.."

"I'm always here if you need one," he chirped, and she giggled again, nuzzling her cheek into his partially exposed chest before she caved in. She forgot why he had it and the curiosity was killing her.

"Kana-nii," she asked gently, pulling back enough to look up at his dark blue pectoral tattoo, "Why would a monk have a tattoo of a sword on their chest..?" "Hmm?" he glanced down at her in confused surprise, before he broke out in a gentle smile, "Do you know the English saying, 'The pen is mightier than the sword'?" "I am an English Idiom dictionary," she nodded sagely, looking up at him to betray her level of curiosity, "But wouldn't you want a pen or quill, then..?"

"The sword may transcend violence," Kaname's voice had taken on a sultry, knowing tone that she could only associate with monks.. Kaname's monk-mode.. Huh.. "-but in this world.. There's something even more powerful than pens or swords.." He pulled back carefully, his hands slipping from her shoulders to glide down her arms, grasping her hands with a gentleness one would give to a glass statue or a delicate rosebud. "And that.. Is love.." he didn't move forward to kiss her, nor did he sweep her into another warm hug. He merely held her hands.

And that was all she needed to know that he understood.

"I don't know what you want to tell us," Kaname murmured calmly, his thumbs running gentle circles into his sister's small, pale hands, his expression serious, but comforting, "But I can guarantee that we will not think any different of you.. No matter what you say, I can promise that we will love you just the way you are.. And there is nothing you can say or do that will change that.."

"Kaname.." Natasha felt her throat close up, and frantically cleared her throat, feeling the burning behind her eyelids and cursing her sentimentality while she was at it. She didn't move her hands, instead, gripping his larger ones with a firmness of one who was resolved. "Thank you, Kaname.." She looked up at him with a shaky smile, and he lifted a hand to brush the glistening ears that polled in the corner of her eye, "..for being a wonderful big brother to me.."

When they had parted, he had dropped her off at her room with a gentle peck to her temple, wishing her a goodnight, but not sweet-drams- as he knew now that she didn't joke about her lack of sleep. Moving to the twin bed on the right, she pulled back the covers and left them rumpled near her knees, making sure her feet were warm.

Rather than wasting a perfectly great night off getting the literal hell beat out of her, Natasha decided that she'd work on her mental barriers for the voice.

 _You know what-? I'm going to name it._ Her eyes lit up with the immediate elation to do something other than sit in silence. _I've lived with it for years, and now that I have the means to subdue it, I should have the right to call it something…_

She lied there for several more minutes in absolute silence, her chest rising and falling with her hands poised resolutely over her stomach.

 _How about... Desire..?_


	54. Chapter 10 (Final)

Asahina Futo held his palm above the cool platinum handle of the bedroom door. His feet were screwed in place, and his fingers were taut with the effort to stay still. Gritting his teeth, he reminded himself his goal, drawing strength from the familiar mantra like one would morphine.

She's just a stubborn woman..

Sighing in relief, he tensed his shoulders, standing taller as he carefully cracked the door open.

 _I'm not going to be family with you…_

He kept the line of light minimal as he slipped inside, carefully shutting the door behind him and slowly turning the lock. His eyes darted sharply to the far bed, narrowing when he say how utterly unmoving she was. She had her arms tucked around her chest protectively, and her legs curled up, tangled in the bed sheets. He swallowed sharply, seeing she wore nothing but a loose purple tee-shirt, and some sort of short black spandex, making her legs look even smaller than they already did..

Ever so slowly, he padded his way toward the bed, his knee brushing the sheets as he stopped to admire her curled-up form. She was turned toward him, but her eyes were still blissfully closed, giving him the incentive to press his weight into the mattress.

"You're _mine_ ," he breathed, flinching slightly at the volume, but calming when she didn't so much as twitch. "Sis.."

"Nnnghhh.." she groaned, he presumed; still asleep, flopping onto her back and unconsciously turning her head toward him, though her eyes only pinched tighter together, and she ceased moving. Despite looking briefly annoyed, the moon lit her figure like a sort of earthen-bound spirit, making her already pale skin much more alabaster and causing her white hair to nearly glow. Taking her stillness as a gesture to go further, he leaned toward the upper portion of the mattress, pressing the palm of his right hand into the sheets a few inches from her head and leaning over her carefully, shifting his weight between his knees and arms as he hovered above her, his throat tight a he flexed his jaw and fingers. He could feel an unbearable heat creeping up his back and neck, and it was slowly spreading down his arms, though his hair.. He pressed it aside.

His eyes fell upon the wrinkled purple shirt that loosely clung to her torso, the press of her bust against the material shaped alluringly along the fabric. He swallowed thickly, narrowing his eyes as he reached his hand to the hem of her shirt, the line of fabric already climbing halfway up her stomach, his fingers slowly bringing her clothing higher. He caught a flash of bright blue, and his hand stilled, the shirt lifted above her chest to reveal the luminescent blue, lace bra. He glanced down slightly, and the choking temperature of the room seemed to inch higher slowly, easing his throat into a firm hold where it was almost impossible to breath. A small strip of matching blue lace had snuck up her hip out of the shorts, but it was only a single strip, no wider than his pinky finger. Sweat pooled at the back of his neck, and he clenched his eyes shut.

 _She's just a stubborn woman- She's just a stubborn woman- She's just a stubborn woman-_

"You had your chance," he breathed, willing the air to cool some, though it seemed only to continue getting hotter, as if it were an actual oven around them. His fingers dropped the shirt hem around her collarbone, and his scorching palm met freezing skin. He nearly jerked his hand back out of surprise, but since the cool, sudden ice beneath his hand felt heavenly, he spread his fingers wider over the skin of her stomach, slowly sliding it up toward her flimsy blue cover. He didn't feel nor notice the slim, pale calf lifting up behind him in a dead-lift, nor the deep golden eyes that cracked open with a near literal fire in them as he kept his eyes on his hand, focusing on the cold skin beneath his fingers. "This is _your_ fault, Sis.."

"Is that _so_?"

His head jerked up just in time to see his Sister's scowl before he felt a sharp weight slam into his side, sending him jolting to the side as his sister flipped them over, her shirt falling back over her stomach and her hands snatching his wrists, pinning them to the mattress as she glared down at the now startled, heated idol.

"Mind telling me what you were doing just now..?" her voice was soft, sweet, and all too light. He tried to lift his arms, wanting to take control of the situation again, but her grip only increased, and he flinched, surprised as he couldn't move them even an inch. "Well?" she continued calmly, staring down at him with her narrow, calculating eyes, her face otherwise impassive, "Last I checked, I was sleeping alone in this room.. And normally people aren't suppose to be woken up-"

He had tried to lift his legs in an effort to swing himself into a sitting position, but, seeing that, the female, snorted, swinging her leg over his hip and pulling herself up to straddle his hips, pressing her knees sharply into the mattress as she directly loomed above him, a scowl on her face., "Where was I-? Oh, yes-, -woken up by the invasive, perverse, meddling hands of their brother.." His breath hitched in his throat, and the air was becoming impossible to breathe, his breath coming out in deep, slow huffs.

"What did you want, Futo-?" she asked calmly, taking pity enough on the brat to release one wrist, though that could have been due to the fact that she needed to fix her shorts.. They were falling down her butt and she'd like to keep her knickers _on_..

"What does it look like..?" His voice was as low as his breathing, and beads of sweat had gathered on his forehead and collarbone. Natasha hadn't noticed, but even his his upper back was staining the lining of his shirt a darker shade of grey and maroon.

"It looks like you were about to find out whether I prefer thongs or G-strings," Natasha deadpanned, using her free hand to push the long strands of hair out of her face.

Yep.

She needed a cut.

As soon as she got home.

"You could have just asked.. Granted, I might not have answered you, but immediately trying to jump me in my room isn't exactly a very subtle thing, Brat.."

"Don't call me a brat," he snapped, mindful of his volume as he glared up at the woman. He was getting sick of this air. It was too hot. His clothes were too thick, he needed water, he needed to go outside, turn on the air conditioner.. He-

He had one free arm…

He had several plans running through his mind, several of which involved him tossing away his shirt and making a bolt for the air conditioner, however, there were a tempting few.. Not to mention-..

She was cold to the touch…

She was still staring down at him, her face caught in a mixture of annoyed and deadpanned as she drummed her fingers on the sheets beside his head. "Any time before the sun rises, please," she felt the need to point out casually, tilting her head down at him with a slightly narrow-eyed look. "I don't like that expression on your face.."

"What expression.." he murmured, the air was too thick to manage anything else.

"Like you're about to make a very poor life decision," she scoffed, rolling her eyes as she released his other wrist, a very ill-thought move, he silently commented, watching like a hawk as she used both hands to pull back the long, silver-white hair from her face.

"You look better with your hair down," he muttered under his breath, the scalding heat of the room pressed to the back of his mind as his sister straddled his hips. It was an ideal position, but she didn't look too compliant- or happy, for that matter, speaking of which-

"Why are you still awake-?" he huffed a little as he sat up on his elbows, giving her a suspicious glare when she gave him a deadpanned stare. "Why are you sneaking into my room in the middle of the night?" "Isn't it obvious," he narrowed his eyes slightly, and he lifted up his hand to grasp her wrist, effectively holding back her hair, despite being unintentional, "I didn't think you were that slow, _Onee-chan_.."

Her eyes burned like fire down at him, but her expression didn't change. "Do remember, oh dear little brother of mine-" she took this moment to reach her free hand down, sharply patting his head, not gently, though not roughly, either, "-that I could merely scream and bring the others in here..? Who do you think would win this argument, considering I have explicitly stated that I see you all as family?"

"Are you screwing Natsume?" his blunt question froze the girl above him long enough to give her a haughty smirk, "So you have-? I'm not surprised, but that does make what you just said, and what you spewed at the table a complete load of-"

A sharp crack echoed around the room, and Futo lied on the bed, his left cheek throbbing dully as his sister slowly lowered her hand, and quickly climbed off of him, moving to sit at the corner of the bed with her knees drawn to her chest.

"If you're going to be a disrespectful little shit towards your elder brother, you can leave before I really snap," her voice was low with warning, but he sat up quick enough to give her a sharp, confused glare. She had just slapped him.. _slapped_ him.. He was an _idol_ \- he couldn't afford these types of injuries-!

"Don't act like it's not true," he scoffed, moving to let one of his legs fall over the edge of the bed, the other braced on the sheets as he reached forward to grasp her shoulder firmly, turning her toward him ever-so-slightly, "I don't see why you could do something like that with _him_ \- I've told you from the beginning what I wanted- and I have no intention of backing down."

"You're a cocky little shit that needs to learn manners," her voice had a dark edge to it, but she had turned her head to face him, albeit glaring, mostly.

"And to answer your question, _no_ ," she spit the words as if they were poison, and her hand shot out to fist the collar of his shirt, bringing them close enough for him to meet her eyes, "-I did not fuck your god-damned brother.."

"You can understand why I don't believe that," he muttered, curling his fingers into the collar of her shirt, just as she had done to him, tugging lightly so the four inches of space was reduced to two, "You spent the entire night over at his apartment, and nothing happened? I don't believe you."

"I said I didn't fuck him," she spoke slowly, her tone low enough for him to barely hear, his eyes sharpening at the sight of a sudden flush on her face, "I said nothing else.." "So something _did_ happen..?" "No worse than what you're trying," she scoffed, the flush still there, but her cheeks puffing slightly in irritation, "He didn't try to molest me in the middle of the night, thinking I was asleep.." "What _exactly_ did you do then?" he gave another tug, and the two inchs severed again to half, "If you didn't.. _fuck_ " despite his apathetic, dominant tone, he still hesitated on the term, "-then what did you do?"

"We kissed," she narrowed her eyes at him sharply, "We talked, I cried, and we kissed.." Futo opened his mouth to comment, but her expression shut him up, "As amazing as Natsume is, he isn't what I need, and it's exactly the same reversed. We like each other, but I am in no way ready for a relationship with anyone.. Not until this stupid official shit is sorted out.."

"Official.." he repeated, clearly annoyed with his lack of understanding, though he didn't try to pull her closer this time, "And what would that be..?"

"I'll tell everyone together," she denied swiftly, her hand coming up quick to press into his forehead and effectively shooting herself to be at arms length away from him, "But not a moment earlier." "Tell me," he demanded briskly,his eyes narrowed and glaring at her from his crouch on the bed, "Natsume knows- that much is clear- so why can't you just tell me now-?"

"Because you'll panic," she whined, shooting him a grimace as she rolled off of the bed and onto her feet, pushing herself up before stalking to her desk in the corner where her makeup bag was, "If I show you all at once, it'll reduce the risk of heart attacks."

"Why can't you just spit it out," he spoke coolly, though he could feel the sweat dribble down the curves of his face and neck, dampening the back of his hair, and keeping it slick to his body. Why couldn't she just tell him..

"You wouldn believe me.." her murmur was barely audible, but when he had pieced together her words, he merely stared at the small of her back, the tips of her white hair dusting down just to the back of her ribs.

She looked.. Solemn.. In the light from the window, making her glow and look almost..

"Beautiful.." he mumbled around his mouth, though the way she had immediately snapped her head in his direction, breaking the image, he had realized his mistake, and brushed it aside quickly. Why try to antagonize her, now? He hadn't gotten what he came for- but there was a different goal, now..

"Tell me," he insisted firmly, rising from the bed slow enough not to atartle her, but quick enough not to trip. "I won't leave until you do."

"No," she cut off his insistent words with a sharp glare, waving her arm toward him in an arch, as if in warning, "I'm not going to just tell you and have you fall into a nervous breakdown in my room. I don't want to have to deal with your panicky ass."

"Why in the hell would I panic?" he scoffed, giving her a glare that clearly displayed his offense and annoyance, "What could you tell that could be so bad."

"..." They met glare for glare for several long, stretched seconds, the idol's patience wearing thin to the point that he began tapping his foot quickly on the carpet.

"What's your opinion on god?"

* * *

In the end, she hadn't told Futo anything other than she wasn't really from Japan, and that she had a job. He was surprised enough about that for her to shove him out of her room, and collapsed face-first into her bed, blowing a long lock of white from her face in emotional exhaustion. A knocking sound echoed through her room, and she groaned, quite loud, and lifted herself weakly from the bed with the support of her elbows, darting her eyes to the door with a frown, her eyebrows furrowing when she could see no feet beneath the light of the door.

The knocking echoed again, and she snapped her eyes to the window, seeing a tall, thick stick with a rounded end, much like a knot of wood, at the very top. It tapped thrice, paused for several moments, then did it again, slowly becoming more and more insistent. She hopped out of bed almost automatically, darting to the window and swinging it open, grasping the stick as it swung forward again and catching it against her chest as it was tossed through the window, grasping it in both hands as she glared at the sill.

There was a low groan of annoyance, and a white glove hand hooked into the windowsill, followed by a white sleeve lined in cream gold, continuing into the wide shoulder of a navy haired man. His hair was braided into a thick rope over his left shoulder, and his bangs were messily brushing over his eyes as he grimaced, swinging himself up with ease to slip inside and landing his shiny black shoes on the bedroom floor with a twist of his body and a tap of his shoes. It was a few seconds before he said anything, the silver haired female blatantly staring at the male that was _clearly_ not Arrow, though in similar attire. He took great care to brush the dust from his clothes and hold his hand out to her expectantly, remaining silent for several long seconds as she hesitantly placed the tall staff back in his hand.

The pale skinned angel eyed the young woman for several long seconds, before swinging the staff down, and knocking her over the head.

 _"YOU FOOLISH LITTLE GIRL-! ARE YOU TRYING TO INVOKE THE WRATH OF LIMBO-?!"_

"Wh-Who are you..?" She winced with every word she spoke, cradling her head with a grimace as she glanced toward him with a single eye, the other closed tightly in the strain of sudden pain. "My name is Staff," he paused his ranting to heave a loud, heavy sigh, giving the girl a critical, uncomfortable once-over. "Because of _you_ , my two week break has been pushed off until further notice."

"Sorry.." she deadpanned, shoulders sagging as she turned her head away.

"Could you dress appropriately, at least," the man scoffed, scowling as he covered his eyes with one hand, fabric appearing out of thin air and wrapping around the entirety of her form, covering both the shirt and the shorts and letting the white, tunic-luke dress fall to the floor in length and cover all of her arms and shoulders. "Scythe is enough of a skirt-chaser without needing the provocative incentive." He watched the human-turned-angel spread her arms out wide, testing the long-sleeves, before sending him an annoyed look, though it melted immediately into seriousness when he'd said the neutral man's name.

"Scythe, the warrior of Purgatory, right-?" she started to question the man in front of her, but a white gloved hand had immediately covered her mouth, and she was met with two burning golden-green eyes. "Do not speak of that accursed place," he whispered fervently, giving her a more serious look than he had before, before slowly pulling back, and tapping his staff on the floor, as if to dismiss what was said. "Yes, him-" the disdain was obvious in his tone, though he continued without a care, "I've been tasked with the job of watching over you.. Therefore, when I am not in immediate area, though it won't be often, I will need to give you a form of communication-" He had turned to look at her hands without thought, but stopped talking at the sight of the cold metal rings, slowly lifting back to her face. She had a half second before the staff swung out again, knocking her over the head in the same spot as she fell to her knees with a pathetic whimper. It didn't hurt as bad as the jar of balance did to her hitting her knees, though he was clearly seething as he pointing an accusing finger at her left hand.

"Why do you have _two_ , let alone ** _any_** demonic rings in your possession?"

"One from Bao and One from Jax," she mumbled, a flush dusting her face a she looked away, "They gave them to me in case I ever needed anything.."

"So Arrow _wasn't_ kidding when he said you were completely indecisive, then," the male grumbled hanging his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose tightly, "No, not even that.. You're just too stubborn to choose…" He looked up at her, then, and all traces of anger left, leaving only a serious, burning intensity, "If you are not careful, you could be dragged into _that_ spectrum of the afterlife.. You're severely lucky that your name means _Rebirth_ …" He rolled his eyes, and leaning his shoulder onto the wall with a slight smirk, "Makes everything much more amusing for me.."

"Heaven forbid you be bored," she deadpanned, sighing as she lifted her hands to her forehead, pulling her hair back forcefully from her face. "I suppose, since you're officially one of my guardians, that I should inform you that I'm telling my brothers about the situation.." She lanced up to see his stone-cold expression. " _All of it."_

"You are surprisingly stubborn," he muttered, sighing softly before he turned his head to the door, before glancing back at her curiously. "Are you the reason that Arrow was accompanied by the small furry rodent in the offices?" "I asked him to look after my squirrel," she shrugged, flashing him a slight smile, "I wasn't going to leave him to be at home alone.."

"He was very.. Vocal.." Staff hesitated, before shrugging around the word, "Kept demanding to be taken to a _Chii-chan_.." "That would be me," she shrugged, and stepped past the male, moving to hop nto her bed and fall face-first into the covers. "I have no training tonight. So I'm going to sleep and have my next two weeks open. Goodnight, Staff, it was a pleasure to meet you. If you need anything, kindly wait until I wake up again."

Said male gave a long, low groan, and glared at the lip of paper on the door and walls. "At least she protects herself to decent degree," he muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes before he moved to the other twin bed and perching onto the soft surface in an Indian position, the length of the staff lied out parallel to his stomach and across both knees as he fell into a meditative state.

He would need all the energy he could get for this..

* * *

 **We're reaching the end..**

 **Yes, yes I know.. _two more_ episodes.. well, just remember that in a few earlier chapters I mentioned how the plot was going to change, I'm planning to twist the last two episodes directly around Natasha. **

**Don't worry, as soon as I finish this I'm working on the second book, and for all of you wondering, no, it isn't going to be Brothers Conflict. Actually, the series list is currently on my profile. ^^**

 **So, for everyone reading this- Thank you for your continuous support-!**

 **Reviews are welcomed-! Especially constructive criticism- (There's a difference between constructive criticism and flames, by the way.)**

 **Caio~!**


	55. Chapter 11: Part 1

_The summer trip to the festival is Yatsugatake came to an end, and in no time at all, entrance exams were just around the corner. Which brings me to my current problem.._

"Yusuke.." Natasha frowned down at the redhead, who was currently in a romantic relationship with the dining room table, "If the table is giving you secret answers, please resist the temptation.." Her brother groaned, turning his head toward the practice book in despair. His sister had gone through the trouble of making him twelve of them, three for each major subject they were studying, but there was still a severe issue..

"I don't understand any of it.." he moaned in a tone befitting agony, and the girl sitting across from him sighed gently, closing the book she had in her hand and pulling the textbook out from beneath his face, causing his forehead to hit the table with a dull thud. "Lets see what you've completed so far, yeah?" He hummed in the back of his throat, grimacing at the pen clutched in his hand. _The mock exam is tomorrow.. And the final exam is next Saturday.. Nevermind getting into the same college as her, I won't even be able to pass the-_

"Yusuke, you're only missing the same step over and over."

His thoughts cut off as he sat up in his seat, eyeing his sister in stunned surprise as she turned the book around, and passed it back to him. "You keep rushing in the middle of the problem and you trip yourself up over the dividing. You just have to remember to write down the system I gave you.

Taking his pen pack to the paper with renewed vigor, the redhead immediately started working through the problems, a hard set to his jaw and his eyes narrowed almost dangerously. Shaking her head, the silverette merely lifted her history book, the only subject she was iffy on, -considering she was in an alternate reality and all- and let her thoughts trail back to her newest glorified babysitter. Really, the guy's been popping in and out for weeks now just running 'errands' or staying long enough to lecture her about being dressed properly or bringing enough sutras if she ever leaves the house. He was like a manager more than a guardian.

Then there was the matter of her secret..

Natsume had been pushing to meet up with her for lunch once in a while after the vacation, giving her a much needed pick-me-up involving coffee and a large amount of chocolate. They went through multiple scenarios, leafed through all the possible reactions to better guess how to handle this.. First and foremost she would **not** begin with _I'm dead_.

It was one such afternoon, just a day away from the practice test, that she huddled in a cafe with her hot cocoa, curled up just to convey her unwillingness to move but relaxed enough to enjoy her company.

"So you have absolutely no idea how to do this," Natsume sighed, slumping a little in his white wire chair as the booth seat across from him held the even smaller than usual female of his affections. "I can understand why you're so hesitant-" "The exams are coming up and in no way am I going to scare the shit out of Yusuke before that-!' her abrupt defiance made his eye twitch, but he had waited until the panic in her expression lowered before he continued, his voice lower, and more soothing. "Easy, we'll just tell them _after_ the exams.." "But Subaru's trying to figure out which pro basketball team to join," she was battling it again, he noted, taking a slow, deep breath so as not to snap. It wouldn't do good to abruptly hug her in the middle of a cafe. "That's not _your_ issue," he stated calmly, his hands pinned to his knees as she pouted at him. Did she have to be so cute..? Or was it unintentional..? "What _is_ your issue, is telling the rest of our brothers.." his voice lagged as a waitress in a flour stained apron dutifully passed them, her eyes flickering in obvious gossipy curiosity, though it disappeared abruptly when she caught his slightly deadpanned expression, scurrying back away from the clean table she was aesthetically cleaning. "She was checking you out, you know~" he turned his head at his sister's sly grin, giving her a deadpanned look that bordered on insulted.

"Stop changing the subject," he muttered, sipping the last of his coffee with a perturbed frown. "The last thing you should be worrying about is my love life.." "I'm scared~!" she whined, finally admitting as she slumped into the table, her forehead pressing into the cool, fake marble and her messy white bun slipping on her right shoulder, "I don't want to tell them and let them think I lied to them the entire time-! I'll look fake-!"

"I doubt that," he muttered beneath his breath, glaring at the spot where the check had been, the table empty of the black booklet. "Na-" he cut off as a small pale hand peaked out from beneath the edge of the table, sliding the book in question back to it's original spot with several slips of yen before retreating back beneath the table.

He took a slow, deep breath, before smacking his hand sharply to his face, finally giving in with a groan of frustration as he lowered his head.

"We're getting nowhere," he spoke after a few minutes of silence, sighing deeply once he had calmed and shrugging to his feet, moving to help her out of the booth when she showed no sign of moving herself. "C'mon.. Let's go, we're going to my place and we're going to work this thing out.."

"I'll call Staff and Nene," Natasha sighed, leaning her weight on her brother's side with a grimace, " _Fuck_.. I'm going to beat the shit out of Bao.. I can't feel my legs.." Natsume twitched, sending her a sharp look before holding his breath and forcing his strides to go slower. "What level of hell did he put you through this time..?" "Endurance running.." there were tears in her voice as she whimpered, resting her forehead on the rough tan jacket he wore, "I went around the fifth circle twice before I passed out.. On foot.. He's trying to get me to fly but so far that only involves getting pushed off of buildings.."

"I'm not having any better of an opinion about this guy, you know," Natsume grumbled, clearly frustrated and upset as he helped her walk along the cement, "I brought my car, I'll drive us back to my place.."

* * *

Natasha stared down at the report card with something akin to stunned shock.

She got a D.

 _What in the actual fuck…?_

It wasn't until she'd gotten home, her entire body mimicking a zombie, that she'd collapsed on the couch, digging in her bag to figure out why.

 _Well Fuck..._

She'd answered for her world's history, not this ones..

 _How out of it was she..?_

Yusuke fared no better in discovering her score, actually letting his jaw unhinge as his eye twitched.

She'd almost failed an entire subject on a pretest.

 _...HOW-?!_

She'd been the number one student for as long as he'd known her, and probably even before that.

Lying face-down in her bed, Natasha sulked deeply into her vanilla-scented comforter. She did a bad thing.. _A bad thing is how abrupt and awful that mark is going to look on her spotless transcripts_. The testers probably thought her insane for thinking of such odd-sounding events and names. _She wanted to just get through this and never do it again._

"Chii-chan.." Juli trilled gently, his ears down as he pulled at her shoulder sleeve, "It's really not that big of a deal. People get D's all the time.."

"Everyone looked so startled by my score.." Natasha mumbled, monotone and lifeless as her energy slipped slowly away. "I'd never seen them so stunned.."

"It's fine, Chii-!" Jui was getting worried about the dark, brooding Aura that ad begun to swirl around her form, "All you have to do is study and give it your all for the final-!"

"I'm so disappointed in my own carelessness.." Natasha grumbled, blinking slowly before she heard a sweet chime echo through her small apartment. Lifting herself up by her elbows, she grimaced, shaking off her depression before she trudged across the hardwood to get to her door.

She could feel Masaomi's energy directly outside her door, and without pausing to even wonder why, she opened it wide with a hum. "Who is it~?" It was a few shades away from being sadly sarcastic, but it would pass.

"Hey," Masaomi paused his smile to look at her clearly, seeing the long, rumpled sweatshirt that hung to her knees and the large pants that practically pooled at her ankles. He wondered briefly about the slight circles under her eyes, before he brushed his medical curiosity away and gave her another smile, though it was quickly and politely plastered on. "I was wondering if you had a minute right now."

"For..?" she asked quietly, her voice quiet and slightly strained, she looked ready to lean on the ledge for support, and when her shoulder made contact, Masaomi lifted a hand to her forehead, pressing it firmly to the skin and cutting off her protests with a serious look. They held still like this for a few, long moments, before a furrow twisted the eldest brothers brow and he gave his sister a small frown, "You have a slight fever, Natasha-chan.. How long have you been feeling bad..?"

"Since before the mock test," she answered honestly, her eyes slowly fluttered shut as she leaned deeper into the frame, however, a larger, more firm grip came to her shoulder, and she was turned to lift her chin, "You should really eat something," Masaomi coaxed gently, looking down at her from his large height with a clear expression of worry, "Why don't you come down for lunch and then get some rest.."

"Thank you, Masa-nii," Natasha murmured, closing her eyes gently before channeling strength into her spine and legs, then stepping out of her room with a soft yawn. "Let's go, then.."

Masaomi had a hand on her shoulder the entire time that they took the elevator, his eyes watching her intently as if expected her to collapse. Which, in all fairness, would probably happen within the next hour or so.

She felt so.. _Sluggish_.. Like her entire being was getting drug through a tank of thick, sticky mud. It physically pained her to take long strides and she wanted nothing more than to fall into bed for an eternity and a half. Masaomi guided her down the steps slowly, his frown deepening with every third stair. She clutched at his arm the entire trip to the table, her forehead pressed into his bright lavender sweater and her lips pulled into a tight line.

The table as occupied by Tsubaki and Azusa, as well as Wataru, and Yusuke, with Ukyo setting out the finished plates.

"Good aftern-" Ukyo called up, pausing entirely with a slight grunt when he caught sight of his siblings moving slowly to the table, "Masa-nii.. What's going on..?"

"Natasha-chan caught a slight fever," Masaomi informed him calmly, keeping his eyes on Natasha while she matched his slow strides with her own, "She might have to stay home from school for a few days if it gets any worse.." The woman on his arm lifted her head, giving her guide a displeased grunt as she weakly punched his shoulder, "I'm not sick enough to be useless.. I still have my hands, Aniki.."

Ukyo flinched a little, but remained otherwise unmoving at his sister's flushed face, sighing as he set the last dish at the table, "Well, in any case, it would be good to get some food in your system.."

As if just remembering why she was there, Natasha leaned around Masaomi's front to look at the table, her eyes lighting up at all of the mouth watering plates of food. "That is a large amount of food.. Are there enough people here to eat it all..?"

"Well, I had a lot of assistants today," Ukyo couldn't help but chuckle at her wide-eyed, cute expression, "I couldn't resist making more dishes."

"Kyo-nii made us work too hard," Tsubaki spoke up from his seat, waving his hand dismissively while his twin reprimanded him with his eyes, his words oddly deadpanned. "Not that you were of much help," Azusa's tone lacked the teasing the boys usually used, instead, the twins were watching Natasha with faint traces of concern on their faces,

"I'm sorry you had to cook on your day off," Natasha apologized a few minutes into the meal, everyone sitting around her at the table in quiet tandem. "I honestly hate it when other people do my chores for me- but because I'm sick I'll probably have to deal with it, huh.."

"You just need to focus on getting better," Masaomi chastised calmly, lowering his chopsticks when she'd given him her attention, "Not only are you going to have to stay home, but both you and Yusuke have finals coming up soon, the rest of us should be pitching in anyways to help you prepare."

 _Having a family.. Is really nice..._

When the air was cleared, the tension lifted, and it was back to the lighter, more teasing bickering between the boys.

"You say that but I was worked just as hard," Yusuke's comment was probably just and observation, but let it never be said that Tsubaki let opportunities slip away.

"Oh yeah, you're _technically_ studying for entrance exams, too," Tsubaki had a devilish grin on his face as he smiled towards the redhead, who had ever-so-slightly increased his grip on his chopsticks. "You shouldn't say that Tsubaki," Azusa reprimanded primly, and Natasha felt her chin dropping when he'd simply continued, his eyes solely on his twin, "He's _technically_ studying for the entrance exams, so we have to be supportive.."

"Hey-!" Yuusuke whined, well, more barked than whined, his face flushing in annoyance. Natasha couldn't help the smile that split her lips when she gave a quiet chuckle, reaching up her hand to Yusuke's shoulder and squeezing with a sweet smile, "Don't listen to them. You'll do great."

"Hey-! Onee-chan smiled-! Onee-chan smiled-! _Yatta_ -!"

Natasha looked over to Wataru with a start, her bangs nearly reaching her chin as she blew them from her face. Her hair now reached her lower back, and was increasingly becoming a hindrance, but she was very hesitant to cut it.

"Since Onee-chan got such a low test result and because she'd sick, everyone was trying to cheer you up-!"

"Wataru, _O-Oi_ -!" Masaomi fumbled to wave his hands, trying to dismiss the comment, though it had already been made. The boys around her, save for Wataru, made quiet and awkward sounds of apology, though she only stared for a moment, lowered her head, and burst out laughing. The abrupt change caught the boys off guard as she gripped her sides, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes in both amusement and pain. Her insides felt like they were tearing at each other and her throat and brain hurt- _but she didn't care_.

Reaching out her hands, she grasped both of Yusuke's giving him her most heartfelt, determined smile, "Let's go to Meiji-!" He looked startled, but a smile spread across his face as she quickly continued, her voice raising a bit in excitement, "I know we can do it if we work hard-! We'll both get into Meiji-! We'll bust our butts and take that test and we _will_ go to college together-!" "That's what I like to hear," Yusuke grinned then, showing off his bright white teeth, and she was quickly scooped into a tight hug, knocking the breath from her lungs as she laughed again, hair spilling all around her face. _Perhaps she would talk to Louis later today..?_

"Hey, hey-! No fair-!" she was set down quickly at the sound of Wataru's distressed objections, looking down a bit to see Wataru glaring at Yusuke before she carefully sat back down into her seat. "W-when did you get there-?!" was Yusuke's immediate reaction, though Wataru only pouted at him briefly. She was a little dizzy from the hug, but it was clearing rapidly, and she could just make out Yusuke's confused, startled expression while Wataru gave him the equivalent of a puppy-glare.

"'Taru-chan," Natasha smiled a little when he'd abruptly turned to her, bouncing in place much like the energizer bunny.

"Onee-chan-! I made a present for you-!"

"You made me a present," Natasha repeated, remembering the handmade birthday card he'd given her and the rabbit he'd had Masaomi help him sew, a twin from Masaomi himself to make it two. Kaname had given her a pair of robes similar to his on her birthday, and she'd gotten headbands and ribbons from Louis. Hikaru had taken her shopping the following week, while Tsubaki and Azusa had taken her to work with them that day after her birthday, "The Life of a Seiyuu," as Tsubaki dutifully narrated. Iori had given her a kit to press flowers with a bouquet to start with, and Natsume had given her a game.

Her mind was lost in the memory of her birthday for a second before she was brought back to the present by a small white card getting placed in her hands. "There's the helper ticket-! And the Play Games together ticket-! And one more-" Wataru paused his explanation to search his pockets, before pulling out a pink heart-shaped card with a grin, giving his sister the absolute cutest smile she'd ever seen, "Here you go-!" He placed the card atop the small pile, and her eyes felt like they were stinging as he spoke, quite animated and excited, "The 100 Smooches ticket-!"

Yusuke, having moved to take a drink of tea at that moment, splattered the table and air as he abruptly spit it out, Natasha recoiling a bit while Tsubaki jumped back, Azuza merely tensing as the twins made equal faces of disgust and noises of protest, either at Yusuke, Wataru, or both. "Yusuke-? What the hell-?!"

"Wataru- what a thing to give her-?" Ukyo was the first to verbally protest, though the twins had turned slightly annoyed, bereft expressions to the youngest Asahina when the salmon haired child merely tilted his head toward the blonde in innocent confusion.

"What's wrong, Kyo-nii?"

Slowly, Natasha looked down at the coupons in her palms, the stinging in her eyes fading a bit as she shut them, and gently pressed them to her chest, a soft, guilty smile on her face.

Her eyes stung majorly, and it hurt dearly to open them again, but when she did, she gave Wataru the most breathtaking smile she could muster, reaching over to wrap her arms around his shoulders and tucking his head beneath her chin while the boys argued about propriety and Tsubaki childishly demanded the coupon be revoked. Masaomi watched on in silence for a few moments, before turning to his sister, his expression softening warmly as he watched her cuddle the child. The sudden, outrageous thought entered his mind, that she would be a great mother one day, and he promptly shut it out, before stuffing a bite of beef into his mouth, going back to the meal while the younger males argued at a manageable volume.

The meal was more or less comfortably upbeat, and Natasha kept the coupons tucked close to her person the entire time. When she'd gotten up to take care of her dishes however, they were plucked from her hands. She shot an indignant look towards Tsubaki, who had taken her plate, and Azusa, who had taken her cup, pouting in disagreement when they gave her stern, pointed looks, and spoke in unison.

"You're sick."

"So what?" Natasha grumbled, lowering her head as she folded her arms across her chest, knowing she wasn't going to win simply by the shade of their auras, "Doesn't mean I can't bring in my own dishes.. I'm sick, not paralyzed."

Tsubaki ruffled her hair, much to her silent ire, and Azusa pat her shoulder with a slight smile, this time speaking for both of them on his own. "You need the rest. The sooner you relax the sooner you'll be better."

"I hate logic," Natasha scoffed, grumbling a little when she was shooed away from the table and kitchen. She leant down as Wataru scurried back up to her, giving her a 'free' hug before he pecked her cheek, and excused himself to play, but not without stating, in a very huffy, 'big-boy' voice, that she needed to go to her room and rest. Natasha couldn't say no to his puffy cheeks or his serious eyes so she had begrudgingly relented.


	56. Chapter 11: part 2

Ukyo informed her that she wasn't to step foot into the kitchen until she was cleared by Masaomi, though she suspected it was more out of worry for health than it was for germs, if that made any sense..

She had absolutely no idea what classified as 'cleared' to Masaomi, seeing as she was a walking, talking disaster magnet, so there went _that_ easy tick off..

After returning to her room, she channeled energy into her burning eyes, feeling them almost instantly soften, as if they never hurt in the first place. She followed quickly with her throat, then her back, and curling it gently around her elbows and knees, letting it relax the muscles and soothe the aches. She spent about an hour reading through her history notes again, burning the new names and faces into her brain with a stamp labeled _FC_. While the majority of the events were on the same days, small things were changed, as well the majority of names. It was literal hell to separate the two, but she was determined to at least get accepted into Meiji, if only for Yusuke.

A chime echoed through her room, the sweet sound carefully drawing her from her focus as she rolled her seat away from her desk, tilting her head toward the hallway that lead to her front door. Blinking slowly, she stood, jogging through the apartment until she reached the door. She pulled it open quickly, golden eyes trailing up quickly until they met a pair of molten grey ones.

"Subaru, hey," Natasha greeted quietly, not wanting to push her throat after the quick force-recovery. She took a glance at his clothes, seeing him in a crisp white shirt, a black suit jacket, and a dark blue tie. His pants matched his jacket, and a coat was folded primly over one arm. "Natasha," he murmured, startled a bit by the silent way she'd opened the door, before standing a bit straighter, and giving her a slight nod. "Do.. Do you have a minute?"

She merely opened the door wider, stepping back so it was propped open with her back, giving him a slight smile as she gestured with her arm. "Go ahead."

His cotton yellow slippers hesitated a step inside the threshold, and he closed his eyes, before continuing, as if nothing had stopped him at all. Natasha shut the door with a soft click, nodding when she was satisfied before she turned to follow the tall male into her bedroom. He stood awkwardly at the foot of her bed, but she chuckled, moving to turn the chair toward him before plopping onto her bed, her lips pulled up in the corners with a slight smile. "Take a seat, I don't bite.. Much.."

He snorted a little, almost like a quiet cough, but the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed his amusement, before his face returned to cool and collected, and he cleared his throat, carefully folding the jacket over the back of the chair and taking a hesitant seat..

Due to the height difference, he had to entirely raise the seat up , and even then he had the slightest bend to his knees when he sat up straight. His eyes showed slight amusement at the height difference, before it, too, faded into the serious demeanor she'd opened the door to. "I wanted to talk to you.." his eyes trailed off a bit, before he forced them back to meet her own, again, "It's sort of important.." "Go ahead," Natasha nodded, pulling a pillow from her pile to cradle in her arms. She'd rather cuddle Usa-tan 002 and Usa-tan 003, but they were placed carefully on her desk.

"Do you remember that call I got for that Pro basketball offer..?" he asked slowly, lifting his eyes to hers with obvious nerves. She gave a soft nod, and he mimicked her, clearing his throat as he sat as poised as physically possible. "Well, I've.. decided to formally accept their invitation."

Natasha's eyes lit up in recognition, briefly fluttering closed in silent, thankful prayer, before opening swiftly again to met his, urging him on with a growing smile, sweat dotted the back of her neck, but she puhed it back. This was important. After another clear of his throat, he clenched his fingers together in his lap. "The officials said that they wanted me to come to their main office in Kyushu to make some final adjustments to the contract.. So, I'm about to go out there, now.."

"Way to go, Subaru-kun," she flashed him a grin full of shining white teeth, and he blinked while she continued, "You're doing what you love, making a career for yourself.. I'm proud of you." Her soft-spoken admission left a soft pink to spread across his face, though he hid it with a cough as he raised his hand. Gathering his resolve, he met her eyes again, the pink faded to just the softest touch of heat against his skin. "I'll be gone for a while, but I'll probably be back after you finish your exams.." He glanced up from his clasped hands, having brought his eyes down, and blinked at her a little sheepishly, "I'm not going to be much help, having to leave Meiji and all.. Sorry about that.."

" _Oi_ ," she tut her tongue at him, waving him off quickly with an expression of annoyance, though her face was still pale, much to his instant surprise, "Don't even begin to feel bad about that. I'm glad you're taking this opportunity in Kyushu. You deserve it."

Subaru let out a slow, relieved breath, his eyes trailing over to rest on her fingers curled around the pillow she'd snagged. "I heard from the others.. Your score for a subject wasn't so good..?" Natasha groaned, loud and long, as she stuffed the pillow over her face, a grimace twisting her features beneath the literal inhuman softness. "Dear god.. Not you too, Sabaru.." She sat up quickly, giving him a look of pure determination, "It was _just_ history.. Not to mention I was seriously tired that day.. I promise to force myself to sleep at least eight hours the night before the test."

"You shouldn't stress so much," his voice was filled with more worry than reprimand, though he hid it from showing in his expression with a slight dip of his head, "I know that it's getting tough now, and that you've been much more anxious about talking to all of us.. But you just need to hang in there. We'll all be together, soon, and when everything is out of the way, you can get what you need to off of your chest."

"Suba-nii," Natasha spoke gently, the surprise in his energy giving off a gentle warmth, "Do your best with your team. I know that you have the potential to be the greatest. Just prove that to everyone else."

He made a little noise of embarrassment, pink dusting across his cheeks, before he gave her a small, happy smile, "Let's both do our best, then."

"Yosh-!"

* * *

The next week was spent rotating between full nights of rest for her healing factor to kick in, and studying from dawn to dusk with Yusuke.

Eventually, Saturday dawned, and the day of the test had arrived.

Feeling rather drained, Natasha forced herself to meticulously put on her clothes, a comfortable pair of grey slacks, a soft purple sweater, a light grey coat and the scarf she' gotten from Natsume. A doctor's mask covered the lower half of her face, seeing as people were likely to be germaphobic, and she had a pair of black leather gloves fit to her hands. Black slouch boots finished the outfit, and Natasha shouldered her pre-packed satchel, patting Juli's head as she moved from one end of the room to the other in search for her entry form at the desk.

"Wait, Chii-!"

Juli's voice cut into her daze, and she turned quickly to see the squirrel holding out a blue gel pen. Her favorite. "Don't forget this-! You'll do much better with this one-!"

"Thank-you, Juli," Natasha smiled, bending over to give her companion a peck on the head through her mask. "I feel like Hatake, Kakashi like this.. But I suppose it can't be helped.."

"Your hair is a mess," Juli grumbled, clearly worried as he fret back and forth along the desk, snatching the hairbrush up and darting to hand it to her, "Quick-! Use this and tie your hair back-! It won't be good for your hair to get in the way while you write-!"

"Aren't you just the cutest mother hen," Natasha chuckled, doing as she was told and pulling her hair into a low ponytail at the back of her neck, feeling the once again collarbone-length white wisps brush her neck before settling.

A musical chime rang throughout the room, and Natasha stood straighter, patting Juli dismissively with a wave and a to fingered salute before moving to jog to the door. The familiar presence tickled at her senses, and she smiled as she opened it, greeting her kitten-like brother with a closed eyes smile. With her voice nearly gone, she was barely able to force out the words, "Good morning, Louis-kun."

Dressed in his usual magenta slacks and sky blue polka dotted jacket, her brother gave her a sweet, heart-warming smile. "Good morning, Chii-chan.. Are you feeling alright..?" He tilted his head a bit, and a hint of sadness touched his energy. Natasha resisted the urge to pat his head with sheer willpower, giving him a bright, cheery nod in response. Louis continued, his soft, hesitant voice washing over both her, and Juli, who had joined her quickly at her ankles at the sound of his Chii-guard mate. "I have to head out already.. But I wanted to make sure to show my support." His encouraging smile nearly brought tears to her eyes. He was so sweet.. She cleared her throat, though a slight rasp still remained. "Thank you very much, Aniki.. It's my first time actually taking a college test.."

"Thanks for taking the trouble to wish her well, Louis-san," Juli hummed in approval of the blonde's actions and demeanor, offering both young adults a sage nod. Natasha held absolutely still when she saw Louis's hand come up, blinking slowly as he fixed her bangs back behind her ears gently with his usual, honey-like smile. At the soft blinking of her eyes, his smile widened. "It makes you feel sharper when your hair is all in place, y'know..?"

Natasha whispered a hoarse 'thank you,' and brought her hand up to give his a gentle, thankful squeeze.

"That's Louis for you," Juli scurried up to her shoulder for a better vantage point, folding his arms across his puffed up chest in a pleased sort of way, "He understands the inner workings of an entrance examinee's heart." Juli nodded to himself in reassurance to his words. Natasha smiled.

"Also," Louis lifted his other hand into view, and Natasha blinked in surprise at the bright purple iris. "This was left in front of your door.."

"Iori.." Natasha murmured, her mask muffling it slightly as she reached forward to take it between her nimble fingers. It was even her favorite color. Louis continued, watching her eyes trail along the delicate petals, "In the language of flowers, the Iris means, 'faith in good tidings to come'."

"I'll have to thank him when I see him," Natasha chuckled quietly, offering her kitten-like brother an eye-smile, "Please be safe on your journey to work." She accepted the hug he carefully wrapped her into, her eyes fluttering close while Juli spluttered, tensed, then relaxed with a roll of his eyes.

Louis left soon after with a gentle wave, disappearing down the hall just as a door down the opposite end of the hallway swung open, a head of fiery hair poking out quickly as Yusuke fumbled for his bag, gripped precariously in his hand while he fixed the hem of his coat with the other. Unable to call out to him properly, Natasha sharply clapped her hands together twice, immediately drawing his attention to her as he finally got his door closed. "Aah- Natasha- Good morning-!" he offered her a rushed, but genuine grin. The creases beside his eyes were stress and exhaustion induced, and Natasha felt a pang of sympathy at the sight of tiny bags beneath his eyes.

Poor kid probably didn't sleep more than an hour or two..

"You're not feeling any better..?" Yusuke sounded almost crushed when he got close enough to see the doctor's mask beneath the folds of her Christmas scarf. "I get that this test is important, and I would love to go to the same school as you.. But your health comes first.." His palm found her forehead almost instinctively, and she stood absolutely still while he caught himself, tensed, and carefully pulled back, offering her a slight, embarrassed smile. "S-.. Sorry.. But.." his smile faded a little, and he tilted his head down to lock eyes with her, "Please, just promise that you'll ask for a dismissal if the test is too much, alright..?" She blinked slowly, before she sighed, reaching out an arm and throwing it around his back, pressing her face into his chest with a hum, ignoring his squeak of surprise and the slight squirm of his muscles before he embraced her back. Her eyes fluttered closed, and as much as she wanted to just fall asleep, standing in this position, she knew she had shit to do.

 _God damn did she have so much shit to do..._

She took his hand so she could drag the startled boy through the hallways as a light jog, tiptoeing her way down the stairs while Yusuke's steps resembled thunder. They grabbed apples for breakfast, and water, before moving to go towards the elevator. Standing in a line up ahead, stood Masaomi, Ukyo and Hikaru. Natasha gave Hikaru a slightly annoyed look when the red-head's suspicious eyes darted to her hand dragging Yusuke, and she waved to her two eldest brothers with an eye smile.

Masaomi gave her nearly the exact same speech that Yusuke had about speaking to a proctor about her health, should it come down to it, and that she should have no qualms, or embarrassment about it. Ukyo held out two identical brown bags. He smiled at them both, pride an concern flickering in the energy around him. Natasha was really getting the hang of this aura-reading stuff.. Kind of like how some people come to associate tastes or colors with feelings. "Here are your packed lunches," the lawyer smiled, carefully handing them over while Yusuke thanked him for the both of them, knowing his sister's throat hurt. "Thank-you, Kyo-nii." Natasha bowed her head in appreciation. Masomi hummed, eyes warm as he looked them both over, as well.

"Both of you stay relaxed, okay?" the eldest's words were followed by Ukyo's advice. "Please give it your all, so you have no regrets. Make sure to be on your guard for careless mistakes." Hikaru, ever the helpful one, smirked in his girly manner as he shifted his weight to his left. "Oh puh-lease-! This is the problem with you fancy straightlaced lawyers," Hikaru tittered, a giggle underlying in his tone, "Once you've come this far, what will be will be."

An irk mark pinched at Ukyo's forehead, while Natasha sweatdropped. "You really are just.." Ukyo's strained grumble was interrupted by Hikaru as he continued in a bright, matter-of-fact tone. Putting a manicured finger to his cin innocently as he looked upward, "Well, Imouto-san is one thing, but _you_ ," he'd turned his look to Yusuke, who seemed to be more relaxed than Natasha expected him to be, taking Hikaru's teasing with a grain of salt and ease, "-will _really_ have to do our best."

Much to her shock, Yusuke responded in a cool, relaxed manner, lifting a hand to gently grasp onto his sister's shoulder. "You don't need to tell me that. Natasha and I have been studying together for this." He narrowed his maroon eyes, though his tone was still even, "We'll do our best." the beautifully proud moment Natasha felt was shattered by a song from her pocket. The sudden sound startled all of the boys, though she herself still jumped in the air, a hand instinctively clutching Yusuke's arm as the other hurried to flick her phone out of her pocket.

 _Chianti: It's finally time. When you're done, I'll have a reward for you. So good luck._

 _P.S. Don't forget the deal, as well._

The first part of the message brought a blush to her face, though the second wrought anxiety. Damnit-! She wasn't emotionally prepared for this-!

Another, new chime came from her phone while it was still in her hand, and she fumbled to answer it, her voice raspy and low. "Futo.. ?" _Why the hell is he calling me..?_

"Still so slow," Futo's teasing was clear through the line, and Natasha resisted the urge to clench her fist. Surely breaking a phone in front of her brothers with a single hand was a bad idea..? "I'm going through the trouble of calling my sweet _Onee-chan_ while I'm on my break at work.. And you kept me waiting.." "You're not my first priority," she deadpanned with ease, though her throat stung straight after. Futo continued, as if she had never spoken, "I thought today might be the day of your entrance exams, so I figured I'd do you the great favor of letting you hear my voice." _Cocky little_ \- "Oh-!" his voice perked up on the line, and Natasha raised an eyebrow at his chipper suggestion. "-well, in any case, if you fail, you may as well repeat the year.. I'll be real nice to you at the same high-school for another year.."

"I'm surprised you don't get stopped at the airport for that silver tongue of yours," she grumbled, heat creeping along the back of her neck. It was quiet for a few seconds, and she debated hanging up, before a soft, resigned sigh echoed through the line, "Well, good luck," Futo finished with a low, almost gentle, "I'll be cheering you on."

 _He's a little shit..._

She flipped her phone closed with a snap at the dial tones when he had hung up, slowly lowering it back towards her side,

 _...But he's a thoughtful little shit..._

She tapped her index and middle finger sharply to the top of her wrist, Yusuke seeing the gesture and giving her a quick, firm nod, "You're right, we better hurry or we'll miss the train." Natasha nodded, thankful he wasn't bad at charades, and turned to give Masaomi a tight hug. Said male tensed a little before he returned it, a gentle pat on the back following, before she moved to embrace Ukyo, with similar results. She only slightly hesitated at Hikaru, hugging him much more delicately with a gentle tilt of her head.

"Good luck, Imouto-san," the redhead chuckled, patting her head carefully before she nodded, spinning on her heel and snatching Yusuke's free hand before bolting for the elevator at the end of the hallway.

The silver doors closed while both she and Yusuke waved brightly toward the others.

 _They were off._


	57. Chapter 11: part 3

**I'm not dead-!**

 **Natasha: Could have fooled me..**

 **Oh come on-! It's a sort of good thing-!**

 **Natasha: *not buying it***

 **I finally go a job-!**

 ***Instant audience silence***

 **ehheheh..**

 **Bao: Did hell freeze over..?**

 **Natasha: Wouldn't you know..?**

 **Bao: *pats her head gently* It's just an expression dear.**

 ***Sulking in her corner* Whatever.. as an apology, there is going to be an announcement at the bottom of the chapter..**

* * *

They were given two hours for each test to be completed. She breezed through Math, literature, and science, taking a few minutes on history to double check over the information she'd managed to memorize. There was a one hour break between the four tests, two in the morning two in the afternoon with an hour reserved for lunch break.. Yusuke was jittery the entire hour, razor-focused into every possible noise and action that came from around them until Natasha had unceremoniously bopped him over the head.

With the tests finally over they decided to take the train home, however, seeing the early time, and Yusuke's subdued, almost dejected expression, she reached out to grasp his hand, and pulled him out of the train two stops before their original destination.

"Nata- w-where are you t-" he shut his mouth when an end of her scarf had slapped him in the face, though she obliviously continued to jog ahead, her grip on his hand unwavering.

Yusuke gave in after a few more minutes and simply picked up his pace, ignoring the startled yelps of people as they flew past them on the sidewalk and scattered large groups of pigeons. His eyes stayed locked on her and the immediate area around them, ducking and weaving between the crowds beside her with relative ease, being sure they didn't lose grip or get separated.

After what felt like an instant, though at the same time it dragged on forever, Natasha helped them slow to a steady jog, then pace, and finally a complete stop. Her shoulders were shaking a bit from exertion, while Yusuke was openly huffing and puffing for breath, fluttering his eyes up to the main street building they had stopped at with confusion and surprise.

 _It was a cat cafe._

He wanted to outright ask what the hell was going on, but Natasha had already taken his hand again and pulled him inward, toward the bright green and yellow striped awning. The big front window, showed a view of tables and cat playgrounds inside, and Yusuke caught sight of a few people either chatting or serving food in a sort of formal uniform.

Apparently the owner seemed to know his sister, because as soon as they had entered, several cats had perked up from their castles with mewls and the owner poked out their head with wide eyes from the slit in the wall that passed food from room to room.

"Ehh-?!" the man was older, with shaggy brown hair, and dark eyes, with a bit of cream smeared beneath his eye and a tie keeping his hair back in a bun on top of the back of his head. A beaming grin lit up his face at the sight of the two, and he briefly resembled the felines that made his abode so successful, "Well, well well~ If it isn't Little Snowflake~! And where have you been these past few months-?" "Exams," Natasha's voice cut through the harmony of cat's meows as they swarmed both Natasha and Yusuke, making the poor boy tense with a look of hesitation. That was a lot of cats..

"Take a seat- take a seat-!" He shooed them toward one of the walls as he passed through the door, using his spatula to motion for them to move quicker. A hostess dressed as a maid moved to approach them, but Haru waved her off with ease, "It's alright- I'll get their order-" then, turning to Natasha with a playfully hurt expression, "I haven't seen you in months, little girl." Yusuke looked mildly uncomfortable as they were herded into a green leather booth with clean yellow tables. At least six cats were crowding them by the time they'd settled in, sitting directly across from one another, and Yusuke bit back a cough when the older man gave him a firm slap on the back. "You must be the little lady's escort of the evening, then? She's a sweet little thing.." Yusuke felt a shudder shoot up his spine at the sight of the male's narrowed eyes, the big hand in his shoulder tightening almost to a painful warning. "I hope she's being kept safe.. There are a lot of.. _Miscreant_ little brats in those streets..."

Yusuke gulped a little, flinching in surprise when Natasha swung out her laminated menu to swat the elder male's arms. Yusuke didn't fail to notice the toned muscle or the stocky build of the well-stocked adult hovering over them. Natasha, however, didn't seem bothered in the least. "Easy, Tiger, that's my _Aniki_ you're scaring.." Haru chuckled sheepishly at that, a softer expression crossing his face while the warning disappeared in a flash, reaching a hand up to scratch the stubble on his jaw. "Aah~ Is that so~?" He leaned forward then, clapping a more friendly hand to the red-head's shoulder brightly, though it was no less firm, unintentional or not was to be debated, "It's an honor to meet one of little Snowflake's big brothers-!"

Yusuke slid his eyes to Natasha when Haru had scurried away to give them a minute, the silver haired girl pulling down her hospital mask so she could kiss the top of the head of a black-eyed calico. "So.. You've been here before..?" the redhead tried to make conversation in an attempt to ease the tension, though Natasha didn't seemed bothered by it- or she couldn't feel it, either way. "Mh-Hmm," she nodded quietly, closing her eyes with a pleased sigh, "I've brought Wataru and Iori here a few times.." "Is that so…" Yusuke murmured, trailing his eyes down to his menu for a few moments. His head was swarmed with thoughts; random ones with no sense of real order.

 _I wonder if we did well on the test.._

 _I really hope we can pass together.._

 _She's brought the others here, I wonder how close she is to them.._

 _Even if I don't pass I at last hope she will make it.._

 _Why did she bring me here.. I thought we were going home..?_

"Pet the cat, Yusuke."

Yusuke jolted back to reality with a ridiculously puffy white cat being held directly in front of his face. He nearly yelped, biting it back just in time to lean around the offering to shoot a displeased pout toward his sister, "Seriously, though, why did you bring me here..?"

"You need to calm down," she shrugged casually, giving him a serious look when he slightly winced, caught in his anxiety, before letting his shoulders sag. "Alright, alright.. I get it.. There really isn't anything else I can do, is there..?"

"You could pet the cat," Natasha ordered, more so than stated. The calico in her lap let out a displeased whine at being neglected, and she carefully forced the fluffy white cat into Yusuke's hands before returning to the cat in her possession. Yusuke floundered with the tame feline in his hands for a few moments, hanging like a limp noodle with a 'meh' expression on it's face, or, that's what Natasha could determine from it.

Yusuke looked from his sister to the cat, back and forth, for several more seconds, before he gave in with a silent sigh. He accepted the feline without further protest, and combed his fingers through the soft fur. If the stress in his shoulders slowly began to dissipate as the afternoon wore on. Natasha, despite his protest, treated them to ice cream and small cakes. Yusuke found himself laughing a bit when Natasha began explaining her first ever awful grade, the reactions of their brothers, and reflecting on his own.

Without really noticing, they had been pulled into a conversation about the boys and what dinner might be.. How annoying Futo's music has gotten, and what Natasha planned to do the next day.

They'd scheduled something fun for the weekend.

It was late afternoon, early evening, by the time they'd made it back to the house. Yusuke excused himself to go inside, after Natasha mentioned she mentioned that she wanted a bit of fresh air. Yusuke was reluctant to leave her alone outside, but the gentle prodding she gave him won out front door closed with a click.

"What is it, now?"

She didn't even need to turn around to know that they were standing behind her. She could smell vanilla and feel the thrumming energies just a few feet back.

"It's been awhile.." She turned then, as she heard Arrow's sheepish murmur cut through the tense silence. Green eyes met gold, and Natasha could only frown at the sight of the blonde with a skittish touch to his energy. He was anxious. "I know," was her soft response. Staff, who stood firmly at Arrow's right flank, was scowling petulantly ward the house. He wasn't liking the situation any better. Though, when she had spoken, both energies had spiked, and he'd darted his eyes to her immediately.

"Are you feeling alright?" Arrow took two steps forward to touch the silverette' shoulder, a crease between his eyebrows as he darted emerald green orbs around her face. When he met her eyes again, his gaze hardened, and he took a single step back, bowing his head gently in a nod. "Alright. As for the other matter, in regards to my investigation.." He raised his head again, and her back unconsciously straightened at the sharp atmosphere settling around them like a gloom. "It is confirmed, by.." a troubled look flickered across his face, but it was gone in an instant, "-a reliable source, that you are being targeted by Limbo."

"And?" she asked quickly. She could feel one of her brother's energies from inside the apartments coming closer to the entrance to the courtyard, though in her stress she didn't bother to find out who. "Just tell me what the hell is going on."

"Limbo, unlike Heaven and Hell, have no set moral boundaries provided by their leader," Staff inserted quickly, a perturbed expression on his face. This was the first time he'd seen the little half-human raise her voice anxiously, and back-talk his superior, no less. "Some will want to challenge you physically, others mentally. The only thing they seem to share is the common bond of 'outcast'. They'll try to trick you, and play you, until you're trapped in red-glassed promises."

"I already _know that_ -! What am I supposed to do if they try to fight me?" she demanded swiftly. Her muscles were coiled now, as if in preparation for a fight at that very second. She could create things, sure, and she had sutras. But what were they going to do against angels with wings and weapons and literally eons of experience..? Damn, she just had a Black Butler's flashback..

 _Shudder..._

"You will call us," Staff stated, both stunned and disbelieving. Did the little girl think she had even a glimmer of a chance with an angel of Limbo with _her_ lack of arsenal..? _She couldn't even call upon her wings yet, let alone unlock her Semper-!_

Arrow was absolutely quiet, a crease to his brow and a grit to his teeth.

Natasha could feel the energy near the door now. She either had to hide or take this conversation elsewhere. However, seeing how Arrow's hand was twitching, and the anxiety in his aura did not disappear beneath a steely expression, she sighed, inhaled deeply, and shook her head, "We'll talk about this later. Say your piece and leave. I have things I need to do, and by that bulge in your coat, so do you." The familiar golden end of his Infinity Scroll was peeking out of the edge of his coat. She could take a guess at why.

"Staff is returning to The Grand Sky with me for a mission report, but will be back by the time you are to have your party," Arrow nodded sullenly, and with rapt attention she repeated the motion, listening closely to his instructions. "Do not leave the house without your rings on, do not leave the property without usable sutras- and do not rush yourself in making them-! Have at least a dozen copies of each- you already know how to make them. If you wish to go anywhere with your brothers, sense at least a half mile around you at all times. It will drain you, but you cannot forgo these parameters." He paused for a moment, sensing the energy closing into the breezeway just inside the door, before pulling the silverette into a quick, stiff hug.

They were quiet for all of two seconds before he pulled back, gave her a final nod, and turned on his heel.

Staff offered her a quick nod, turning quickly to unfurl his wings, shooting into the tunnel just as Arrow disappeared into the gleaming green swirling portal in the air.

Natasha merely blinked before it disappeared behind the tail end of Staff's shiny black shoe, taking a deep, serious breath, before releasing it in a whoosh, slowly relaxing as she trudged toward the tree. Being end of fall, early winter, the spindly branches were barren of leaves, leaving a tangled mess of earthy brown fingers and a long blue sky above her.

Her back hit the dry bark with a resigned sigh, her bangs falling into her eyes and allowing only slivers of sky and tree branch to reach her view. She needed to think about this logically. She was sick, that was a given at the moment, and, due to that, her sensing wasn't as reliable without extreme focus. Doing so at every hour of every day could only bring more issue to the problem. She needed to think.. She needed traps.. A weapon-

 _Bao-_

 _Of fucking course-_

"Even the way you sigh is just too cute, Imouto-chan~"

Natasha let out, an admittedly, indignant yelp, grasping onto the tree as if it were a person as she stared at the smiling blonde just beside her face.

 _Yeah.._

 _She wasn't going to be using her sensing without thought for a bit.._

"K-Kaname~!" she whined, pouting behind her mask as she slowly relaxed, letting the side of her head rest on the bark, "You shouldn't sneak up on people-! I could have hit you-!"

" _Gomen-Gomen_ -!" the blonde chuckled, one hand in the pocket of his long tan trench coat and the other raised in surrender near his chest, the smile on his face and the laughter in his voice betraying that he was not, in fact, remorseful or worried. It sort of ticked her off but she shook it off like a leaf. "You looked so lost in thought.. I couldn't let you stay sad like that.."

Natasha's eyes caught the silk blue tie peaking out of his pen jacket, the bright white button up beneath it and the dark suit jacket giving away his formal attire. "Hnm.. Just don't do it again.." her eyes darted back up to meet his, and though she was certain he had caught her checking his outfit, he only granted himself a slight smirk to his lips. "So are you heading out..?"

"I just got back a while ago," he chuckled, lifting a hand to pat her head as he moved to relax a single shoulder on the tree to face her, mirroring the exact pose she was with ease, "I suppose that I, too, have a lot on my mind.." A crease touched the skin between his eyes, and she almost flinched at the blatant concern in his energy. "However, it looks like you're thinking about something much more serious.."

They locked gazes for several long, enduring seconds, before Natasha let her own eyes close. They were starting to sting again. Pressing a bit of energy into her eyes, she soldered through the pain and forced herself to look up at Kaname again, this time with a more genuine, apologetic expression, "I'm sorry.. I'm just.. Worried.. About how all of you will take the news.." "You've been concerned about this for a long while," Kaname frowned, clear disapproval in his expression as he reached a hand up to cup her cheek, a tender warmth their that she relished with her abnormally chilled skin. She loved her scarf, and her heavy jacket, but it didn't seem to keep her as warm as it should be.

Downsides to being sick, she supposed..

"I know," she sighed again, the very thing he had approached her for, feeling his thumb rub circles just above the edge of her hospital mask. "I just have the most god-awful feeling that you either won't believe me, you'll hate me, or i'll be sent to some insanity hospital.." _**Maybe all three**_.. Desire whispered traitorously in her mind.. _Fucking hell- I feel awful enough without your goddamned input you son of a-_

"Imouto," Kaname's croon snagged her back into the grasp of reality, and she nearly jolted at the sight of Kaname holding her hand in the air by the wrist, high enough above her head so she was leaning toward him, but low enough so that she didn't have to tiptoe. His mouth was dangerously close to the pulse of her wrist, much to her immediate embarrassment, "Well, even if you feel that you can't stand another second here.." His lips brushed delicately along the skin of her hand, and she shivered a little at the breech of personal space, "You're welcome to come and stay with me.."

"I'll keep that in mind," Natasha murmured after a few moments, her shoulders gradually winding down as she tactfully slipped her hand out of his, bringing it to the back of her head with an embarrassed giggle. "Even so, with everyone supporting me, it's getting harder to think about how to give this away.. With Louis fixing my hair.. Futo's call, Ukyo's bentos, Masaomi-nii's care for my health.. Wataru's energy.." She chuckled then, and brought her hand down to the pocket of her coat, where she had pinned the purple iris, touching the petals with a tender care, "and the iris from Iori.. all of you are routing for Yusuke and I to do our best.." "Iris..?" Kaname repeated quietly, hi eyes trailing down to the lavender hued flower at her breast pocket. "Iori gave you that..?"

"Mm," she nodded, brushing it off enough to meet his eyes, her expression betraying her overall worry. "I just.. Feel like I'm betraying all of your trusts right now.." A warm hand reached up again, and she nearly squealed when hey ruffled her bangs, before settling over her eyes, blocking her vision completely. She felt a brush on her cheek, and though the blush she felt went from head to toe, she could barely focus enough to feel Kaname's mouth move to her ear. "We would never be angry with you, Imouto.. It's clear that you're worried and scared, but I can promise, a the very least, that I will not be angry, or upset." He removed his hand, ruffling her hair once more before nodding his head in dismissal. "I should get inside.. There are a few more things I need to do.."

When he turned to walk away with a wave, and she hesitantly returned he gesture, she could only cup a hand around the cheek he'd kissed. Her shoulders trembled a bit as she turned on her heel, moving to go through the opposite entrance at the yard.

Her steps were a bit shaky as she made her way up the stairs and into her room, her door clicked shut behind her loudly before she could process that she was actually there. Her shoes were discarded at the foot of her bed as she fell face-first into the comforter, a pillow weakly plucked from the headboard and pulled tightly to her chest.

Curling up around he furry purple pillow, she closed her eyes, letting the burning tears fall from the corners of her eyes, gliding own her burning face and hitting her comforter with soft plops.

 _She just really.._

 _Really needed a good cry.._

* * *

 ** _I'm holding a contest to see who can give me the most impressive fan art-! The winner will receive a poster of Natasha, Bao, and Arrow, and another sneak peek into the second book-!_**

 ** _If you'd like to participate in the contest, please PM me for the details~! ^^_**


	58. Get Involved-!

_**"Simply put," he grinned, holding up a hand, where a bright, luminescent rose glowed in his palm, "Should you dream for it.. It shall be.."**_ **-Arrow; in** _ **A Thousand Possible Paths: Book One**_

* * *

Hello, lovelies-! _Tenshi_ here-! I'm bringing to light a bit of information I've received from my readers on other sites, as well as readers that physically read hard copies of my story within my circle of friends-considered-family.

Simply put; there have been a large number of people who've expressed questions about origins, concrete relationships, and general bafflement about Natasha's attitude about certain events or outrageous reactions to things that normal people wouldn't naturally be able to handle.

I'm devoting this chapter to those previously mentioned, and requesting that anyone with any type of question, no matter how big or small, few or many, will reply in the comments section. I can't promise to answer all of them, but I can promise to answer the large majority.

Example: Hey, _Tenshi_? What's with that one character (insert description here), that you added? Was there a point or was he cannon fodder?

I can assure you that the majority of my characters have an absolute purpose in the story, and the relationships between them are actually incredibly complex as the books progress. However, if you were to ask another character about their knowledge or opinion about the one mentioned, then the answer is going to vary. For example, if you ask Masaomi about what he thinks of Arrow? He's going to either think you're talking about the weapon, or not know how to answer. This is not going to affect the story, but I will treat it as an actual installment.

Example 2: Hey, _Tenshi_? Can you mention me in your book? I'd like a minor/major role in it.

For this example, I'd need to know details of the character, as well as be expressly _asked_ \- not forced, not stated, **_asked_ , **to insert a certain character or person into the story. The reason that I need forewarning before I insert them is because I've already gotten most of this planned out, and adding characters, even minor ones, takes time to adjust into the tangled threads that I'm entwining into the existing production.

Another example of the character's involvement- if you ask them about what it feels like to be in a fanfic, they're going to react differently.

There are your examples, if you wanted answers to these; explained more, you'll need to expressly ask me. Please take a moment when doing this to give me feedback on what I'm doing wrong or right with my work, if there is something I can do or change to make it better; I love constructive criticism.

And lastly, I'm going to be giving you a chance to talk with the characters~! ^^

Natasha: God help the innocent souls forced into _your_ captive audience.

Nata you're so mean~!

Jax: On the contrary, Milady, I believe _Tenshi_ -san's willingness to improve to be admirable.

Natasha: Whatever.. Just don't let those creeps sneak into my trailer again..

I didn't authorize a trailer..

Jax: Milady requested one after the public dressing room incident with Scythe, Dagger and Lord Bao.

I'm not even going to ask why I didn't receive a report...

Natasha: A smart decision, really.

Alright. Alright.

Here's a list of everyone you can ask questions to.

Arrow

Bao

Jax

Staff

Scythe

Mace

Dagger

Masaomi

Ukyo

Kaname

Hikaru

Louis

Tsubaki

Azusa

Natsume

Subaru

Iori

Yusuke

Futo

Wataru

Juli

Rintarou

Miwa

Akira

And, of course, myself. ;P


	59. Chapter 11: part 4

I KNOW ITS BEEN FOREVER SINCE IVE UPDATED AND IM SO, SO SORRY-! wORK AND SCHOOL GOT IN THE WAY AND JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO UPLOAD THIS CHAPTER AFTER TALKING TO ONE OF THE FOLLOWERS ABOUT UPDATING MY COMPUTER DIED AND DELETED THE ENTIRE. THING.

I AM NOT LYING, I CRIED FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

SO HERE'S THE FIRST BIT OF WHAT I HAD TO REWRITE.

ENJOY, REVIEW, AND PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO POST YOUR QUESTIONS, DARES, COMMENTS, ETCETERA FOR THE CHARACTER'S CHAPTER SPECIAL IN THE REVIEWS BOX.

* * *

"Have we come to a firm decision, then?"

Grey cloaks fluttered in a windless, open plane of space, far away from the dull grey buildings and the flat grey streets. There were no trees, nor grass nor insects, all natural life seemingly nonexistent in the long, flat void. The distance seemed to stretch forever, and if they were to continue walking in a straight line, it would surely prove so.

Purgatory was an eternity almost worse than Hell.

No sound sliced though the still air unless brought upon by the lips of the supernatural, no scent other than the heavy musk of vanilla could fill the air.

For thousands of millennia, this proved maddening to even the most level-headed of souls and firm of heart.

Scythe adored it.

However, he did not so much adore his precious, silent home, than he did a gritty, no holds barred fight.

And who wouldn't prefer to swing around the prize of their soul?

Showing off it's iridescent gleam..

 _Slicing through the hearts of your enemies.._

Truly a beautiful thing, the ombre haired male silently mused to himself. The curl of his lips had not died once in his time from the bar. Mace, his assigned partner, was standing rigidly at his side, a blood red suit peaking out of the slate grey silk of his cloak. Both men stood stock still in front of the crowd of barred angels before them, a sea of color drawing immediate attention from the pure, blank grey that was this world. Scythe didn't like it, and his wryly satisfied smirk fell flat.

 _Blue hair. Pink hair. Brown, red, blonde..._

 _Green hair, purple, white..._

 _Eyes of every shade of the rainbow..._

Scythe loathed the interruption to the blankness.

"We understand," Mace's deep, brisk voice had answered for the duo when Scythe showed only a minute change in facial expression for the full second pause. They exchanged slight nods, the lower tiered angels giving full waist-length bows with their hands pressed one over the other over the center of their chests. The standard wish of safe departure.

Mace pressed his fist to the center of his collarbone, dipping his head once more as Scythe followed suit, quickly, with small pinpricks of agitation piercing the edges of his blazing blue cloak of energy.

 _There were too many colors.._

 _Too many-_

"Scythe."

Blue eyes snapped towards the red-head with a sharp gleam, his hand, that had unconsciously formed his Semper, his weapon of soul, tightening briefly before causally twirling it, playfully swinging it up and around his body before resting it on his shoulder, as if the half second of frozen hesitation in his sance wasn't caused by the disruption in his thoughts. He grinned brightly, nearly malicious, toward the silver eyed male with blood-orange hair.

"Let's go, my little blood-orange.. we need to meet up with the little butterfly _before_ she learns how to soar.."

Mace, despite being several long strides ahead of the ombre haired male, did not respond to his prompts, merely spinning on his heel and continuing on his walk toward the main gate.

* * *

It was nearly a silent hour (if one could even correctly measure time in a place of all and nothing existing) of walking (for Mace refused to open his wings and chance having them coated in dust) before they reached the large gate. Nearly two hundred human feet tall, and about seventy five human feet wide. The gates were arched up in the center, pure grey slate with only two, intricately carved handles at the center. they resembled the hooks to a door one expected an important figure resided his office past.

Unfortunately, they were carved from the very, barren ground that the male's stood on, as there had never once before been handles on the inside of the mighty, damning doors.

Scythe hated those gates.

They cut into the scenery.

"After you," the blue-eyed male chirped, a saccharine smile on his face while Mace silently groaned, rolling his eyes and stepping forward to push them open.

They didn't have an eternity to spend finding that world again, as the universes liked to shift and spin like a never-ending supernova within the realm of "Traffic", however, they had a hint of her soul, and that was enough for Mace to find her. Traffic, in itself, _was_ , a supernova of dimensions and realities, intertwined yet separated by a thin veil labeled 'Lobby'. sort of a.. doormat, or front porch.. to welcome you to the new reality.

"I'm too old for _chick_ * hunting," Mace grumbled quietly, his arms straining as he forced them apart wide enough for his partner to immediately dart through.

They were never supposed to open from the inside.

The door shut with a loud, reverberating bang, and both angels had to take a moment to pat at their ears.

Damn delicate hearing..

Once they had crossed the threshold and entered the stale air of "Lobby", the existence before one entered "Traffic", they unfurled their wings. Mace closed his eyes, feeling trillions upon trillions of energies assaulting him at once as he pressed away the unfamiliar and began picking out the one he wanted. When sterling silver eyes fluttered open again, they were filled with a sharp sort of determination, zeroed in on a place far beyond where they were standing, where the true eye could never see.

"I've found it."

And that was all it took for Scythe to shoot off.

* * *

 ***Chick refers to the baby bird- much like a mother bird takes care of their young before they can fly. Angels who have not earned their wings are often referred to, if not within a circle of respect, as "Chicks", or sometimes, if taunting is in play, "Butterfly" as a derogatory name towards females. Other words are also used, such as Penguin, for lack of skill- "You, Penguin- the one with the awful flight pattern? Lift up your ankles a bit, you're embarrassing." Or ostrich, for cowardice- "You ostrich, do you plan to stick your head in the sand for much longer-?"**

 **"Butterfly" could also be a pet name for angels, much like people perceive "Baby" in the English dictionary as several meanings. One for infant, or infantile behavior, the other for a lover, or very close companion.**


End file.
